Arthur William Colwill was born in the then, Shire of Windsor, 1892. He attended the Bowen Bridge Road State School that existed for 50 years in the current Windsor Memorial Park – next to Colwill Place. After earlier employment in the drapery business, he purchased (around 1923) the Windsor land, and built a shop on the site. This shop carried lines such as stationery, newspapers, magazines, confectionery, and Kodak supplies.
By 1925 he had added a second shop to cater for the increasing demand for motorists’ supplies, and he installed a kerbside Shell petrol pump, a hand operated “Bowser” which later was supplemented by another pump for Plume petrol. A dwelling was built at the rear of the shops for the family. As the business began to grow and flourish, he developed the concept for a larger building, and this came to reality with the construction of Colwill Place.
On the rooftop he added an open-air tennis court with lighting for night tennis, a dance pavilion with a kitchenette and a roof garden. On the first floor he created a mini golf course. Various shops traded over the years. In 2011 there was a concern that the building would be demolished to make way for the Northern Busway Project. However, this did not happen due to efforts of the Windsor Historical Society and others. In 2020 the building was renovated and still stands proudly today as a local icon.
Source: Windsor & Districts Historical Society Inc.
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