Heritage-listed as Queensland's earliest surviving Burns Philp store, it remains in its original condition. The former Burns Philp & Co. store has long been a feature of Normanton's streetscape, with the company�s history and involvement in the area dating back to the 1870s. In 1879, James Burns purchased the Normanton business of Clifton and Aplin, which had been trading on the site as agents and general merchants since 1873. With this purchase, the store then became part of the rapidly expanding Burns Philp & Co. business empire, particularly when the company founded its Townsville based operation as its North Queensland base. Burns Philp was founded in the 1870s by Sir James Burns and Sir Robert Philp and it concentrated on passenger and cargo coastal trade.