[1] This masonry warehouse was erected in 1883 for auctioneer George Silas Curtis MLA for Rockhampton, as a consignment store for imported goods.

It was designed by architect John William Wilson and stands in a precinct of 19th century warehouses that developed in the area to serve the passing trade at the wharves.

As a prominent auctioneer, land holder and real estate speculator Curtis became one of the city's most vigorous and influential public figures.

Curtis had campaigned through the Chamber of Commerce for railway extensions and a deep-water port for Rockhampton and from 1889 acted as the leading exponent of territorial separation in Queensland.

[1] In late 1882 George Silas Curtis commissioned architect John Wilson to design a warehouse to accommodate his merchandise.

The erection of the warehouse was seen as an advancement for the city and was associated with the atmosphere of confidence which promoted Rockhampton as the possible capital of a new separate state.

The Derby Street frontage had four double-sliding doors on the ground floor with arched windows above protected internally by iron bars and surmounted by a half-circle motif connected with the pilasters.

[1] The warehouse was constructed with the intention of dividing the ground Derby Street frontage into 9 shops at any given time by removing the brickwork between the pilasters, although there is no evidence that this ever occurred.

The first floor contains a continuous row of arched, louvred glass windows separated by pilasters and framed with rendered mouldings and sills.

The ground floor has a single arched louvred glass window with recessed lower panel, flanked by rendered circle mouldings and raised string course, centrally positioned within each wide bay.

This elevation is finished in painted brickwork, and the ground floor has a single opening with timber louvres and fixed glazing, with evidence of brick infill of an earlier loading door below.

The former GS Curtis Stores represents the beginning of a period of substantial commercial development in Rockhampton during the latter 19th century.

It reflected the prosperity of Rockhampton and its position as the premier commercial centre and port of central Queensland at a time when it was benefiting from the wealth of gold mining at Mount Morgan from the 1880s to the turn of the century.

Curtis was a prominent member of Rockhampton's early community and a vigorous supporter of the separation movement who influenced the history of the city and the region.