Croydon Joss House
Date Published
: Temples / Joss House, archaeology
: Gulf Country (Qld & NT)
: Croydon (QLD)
: 1897 to 1939
Chinese Temple and settlement site is located north west of the township of Croydon.
Croydon Temple site
While few artifacts from the Croydon Temple have survived the actual site (rediscovered only in 1997 after a grass fire) allows the outline of the temple, including locally carved pillar supports to be seen.
"The President, Vice-President, and Committee of the Chinese Joss House in Croydon deserve success. They have no debt on the sanctuary; and in opening it they invited all and sundry, simply stating that guests should refrain from bad language."
The North Queensland Register, 18 August 1897, p.3.
"The Croydon mining News of July 30th contains advertisements in viting tenders for the erection of a Roman Catholic Presbytery, a Wesleyan Church, at Golden Gate, and an announcement that a new Joss House, which has cost £600 will be opened. The last named advertisement, signed by seven Chinamen, reads as follows ; - " the new Joss House will be opened on Sunday next, August 1st. The public are cordially invited to attend. Visitors must not touch anything in the Joss House, and bad language is strictly prohibited." "
The North Queensland Register, 18 August 1897, p.22.
"Their initial efforts, in about 1897, to build a temple were short lived (Croydon Mining News 24 Oct 1903). Apparently termites took a liking to the building and, by the early twentieth century a new one had to be erected."
Gordon Grimwade, Gold, gardens, temples and feasts: Chinese temple, Croydon, Queensland. Australasian Historical Archaeology 21, 2003, p.50.
"When the old Chinaman, "Doctor," died in Normanton recently Croydon's Joss House was deprived of its venerable care-taker, for whom, so far, a successor has not been found. "
Cairns Post, 7 Febuary 1931, p.13.
"Dr. White is stationed at Croydon, "Where," she says, "there are beautiful iron lamp posts in neglected streets, a Chinese joss-house that has fallen down, but still has a beautiful bell,"
"the joss-house at Croydon was sold and its materials are now being used as a station building some miles out of town."
S. Strutton, Chinese Tracks through the North, Walkabout., v.8, no.9, 1942, p.31.
"The Chinese Temple and settlement site is located north west of the township of Croydon. The site is situated between The Gulf Development Road and the low hills to the north of the site." "The concrete temple foundations comprise a main building with overall dimensions of 22 metres by 6 metres. The temple is orientated NE-SW with the main entrance facing SW. The building comprised: a 4 metre by 6 metre front section, possibly with a suspended roof; a 1.7 metre deep, covered porch; an internal concrete floor 6 metres wide and 10.75 metres long; a rear section, probably on low timber stumps, 6 metres wide and 7 metres long."
"Six sandstone bases remain in their appropriate location. Two others were removed from the site and are now located at a private residence in Croydon. The bases have been carved to broadly represent the form of the lotus flower."
Chinese Temple and Settlement Site, Queensland State Heritage Register.
See also:
Grimwade, G. 2003, Gold, gardens, temples and feasts: Chinese temple, Croydon, Queensland. Australasian Historical Archaeology 21, pp.50-57.
S. Strutton, Chinese Tracks through the North, Walkabout., v.8, no.9, 1942, p.31.
Croydon temple 1920
Croydon Joss Hse
Croydon Temple foundation
