Irvinebank Heritage Appeal

As many of you know The Irvinebank School of Arts and Progress Association is responsible for repairs, maintenance and general upkeep of several of the historically significant buildings in Irvinebank.

This is quite a task and naturally doesn't come without cost. We also need to adhere to heritage building requirements.

We have a small population and limited volunteer base, so our fund raising opportunities are scarce.

The social nights we hold, special events, our little op shop, Loudoun House Museum entry fee, Community postal agency, donations and our festival are vital.

Our Historic old Bank building suffered during this last wet season, with a major failure of the box gutter in the valley of the roof. We are fortunate to have a local builder who regularly makes himself available to assist.

We are very grateful for both his assistance and the assistance of all those who contribute to our fund raising efforts.

Our magnificent School of Arts Hall is surely one of the most splendid halls in Australia, built at the beginning of the 1900s to serve the cultural and community needs of the then thriving Tin mining town of Irvinebank, our population is now considerably reduced but the hall remains as a focal point. The fabric of the building has suffered from the ravages of time and weather. The roof is in desperate need of repair, the exterior weather boards and trims are in urgent need of attention. We are about to undertake repair and replacement work on the front steps.

We have a Tramway Station, once part of the narrow gauge railway servicing Irvinebank and surrounding townships, very little remains of the railway itself, the building and platform does still stand, part of this used as our community postal agency. There are urgent repairs also required for this building.

Loudoun House once home and office to Irvinebank mining magnet John Moffat. A fine old two storey building now operated as our museum, holding an amazing collection of local memorabilia, items of significant interest and information on the families who called Irvinebank home.

Irvinebank was once a thriving town full of promise and aspiration in the then very new state of Queensland, punching above it's weight in every respect.

It's now time for Queensland and Australia to help Irvinebank out, preserve what remains of this true gem in the hills of Far North Queensland.

Interior of our School of Arts Hall during a recent fund raising event.

Exterior of the Old Bank Building (left) and The School of Arts Hall

Repairs to bank roof being undertaken, as you can see the roof is in need of replacement, the roof sheeting is extremely thin and rusty, the box gutter in the valley and roof timbers underneath had already deteriorated significantly, this allowed water to enter the building and cause other damage.

To find out more about John Moffat https://athertontablelandnetguide.com/irvinebank/history/johnmoffat.htm

our webpage https://irvinebank.org/

follow us on FB https://www.facebook.com/Irvinebank/

Thank you

Louise Cross

Assistant Secretary

Irvinebank School of Arts and Progress Assoc

As many of you who listened to the broadcast by ABC Radio Far North on 5th July 24, we would be extremely interested in assistance from a corporate donor or individual philanthropic assistance. If you have any contacts in that department please consider reaching out to them or us, lets make this happen. Below is a letter that can also be shared for the purpose of attracting such donors. We are but a small band of volunteers and your assistance is extremely welcomed.

Dear Sir/Madam,

Old mining towns in QLD leave a legacy of old rusty iron sheets and skeletons of long dead

trucks among the grass growing in the overburden behind the ant beds. Irvinebank is no exception,

with its deserted mines littered with old railway lines and flattened sardine tins amongst the rocks and

ironbark. What makes Irvinebank extraordinary is the rich legacy left by the town’s founder, John

Moffat. The wealth of Irvinebank is no longer in the tons of tin that was mined in the late 1800s and

first half of the 20 th century, but it is in the magnificent buildings left to reflect on the glory days of the

town. John Moffat built an empire in the Far North that was unrivalled in those times and was based

on tin, wolfram and copper, as well as other base metals and timber. He created a remarkable town

and infrastructure in an inhospitable environment, and today the remains of grandeur are quite

incongruous in the rugged bushland.

Today, the heritage listed buildings are held in trust by the Irvinebank School of Arts and

Progress Association Inc, who are charged with maintaining the structures and the surrounds for

posterity. Irvinebank is now a tiny village of some 100 people, but we do punch well above our

weight with hosting the many visitors who come to see the district and, in many cases, chase traces of

ancestors or relatives who lived and worked here. We have a small museum in Loudoun House, John

Moffat’s former residence where volunteers showcase the past mining industry and conduct our

research.

The five buildings we hold in trust are in constant and now, urgent need, of repair. Our

School of Arts and Progress Association endlessly and relentlessly search for suitable grants to keep

the fabric of the buildings together, but it is a haphazard, reactive and piecemeal business. We really

need help to restore our mining heritage heart to a lasting memorial to the resilience and endurance of

the early miners who transformed hitherto unknown areas of the Far North into a bustling and

prosperous town. The old School of Arts Hall in particular, is in fairly dire straits with

partial re-roofing needed urgently as well as significant replacement of woodwork.

We really need a benefactor, who understands the historic and current significance of the

mining industry to help us out, to preserve and develop this astonishing little town for generations to

come. We hope that you could have a look at Irvinebank and consider us as a small project that might

interest you and your company to invest in such a valuable historic resource.