Childers

Heritage-listed former pharmacy museum housed in the historic Gaydon's Building, showcasing one of Australia's largest collections of early pharmaceutical history from 1894-1982. The Childers Pharmaceutical Museum, housed in the heritage-listed former Gaydon's Pharmacy building at 88-90 Churchill Street, represents one of only two pharmaceutical museums in Australia and stands as an extraordinary testament to early 20th-century pharmaceutical practice. Established by apothecary Thomas Gaydon in 1894, the pharmacy operated continuously until 1982, serving the Childers community as chemist, dentist, optician, veterinarian, anaesthetist, and photographer. The museum remarkably preserves its original cedar fittings, ground glass bottles with gold leaf lettering, leather-bound prescription books, Wedgwood mortar and pestles, early pill-making machines, and a 1906 cash register still positioned on the red cedar counter. The building itself, designed by Bundaberg architect F.H. Faircloth and constructed between 1902-1909 following a devastating fire, showcases classical revival architecture with a balustraded parapet, decorative urns, and original lead lighting friezes. Spanning over a century of pharmaceutical history, this exceptional collection offers visitors an immersive journey through early medicine practices, featuring one of Australia's largest assemblages of pharmaceutical equipment, specimen jars, medicine bottles, and historical documentation that provides unique insight into the evolution of rural healthcare delivery. The museum's intact preservation of original fittings, equipment, and stock makes it extraordinarily rare, offering researchers and visitors alike an authentic window into the comprehensive services provided by country pharmacists in early 20th-century regional Queensland.