Grand Hotel, Mount Morgan
Grand Hotel, Mount Morgan | |
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Location | 39 Central Street, Mount Morgan, Rockhampton Region, Queensland, Australia |
Coordinates | 23°38′42″S 150°23′14″E / 23.645°S 150.3872°E |
Design period | 1900–1914 (early 20th century) |
Built | c. 1901 |
Official name | Grand Hotel |
Type | state heritage (built) |
Designated | 21 October 1992 |
Reference no. | 600743 |
Significant period | 1900s (fabric) c. 1901–ongoing (historical use) |
Significant components | tower, laundry / wash house, residential accommodation – housing |
Grand Hotel is a heritage-listed hotel at 39 Central Street, Mount Morgan, Rockhampton Region, Queensland, Australia. It was built c. 1901. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.[1]
History
The Grand Hotel is a two-storey brick hotel building and was erected c. 1901 on the corner of Morgan and Central Streets, Mount Morgan.[1]
The township of Mount Morgan grew with the establishment of what was to become the richest gold mine in the world. Although small mining claims occurred before 1882, the three Morgan Brothers pegged claims which encompassed most of the mountain top in that year. In July they formed a partnership with three
The land on which the Grand Hotel was to be constructed was originally part of the huge portion 247 of 640 acres (260 ha), acquired in 1883 by members of the Mount Morgan Mine syndicate. It was subdivided in 1895 and leased to a number of people who probably had constructed dwellings and commercial buildings on it. In September 1900 a lease on sub 1 of section 6 at the corner of Morgan and Central Streets was acquired by Richard Daniel Shaw. Shaw was an auctioneer and real estate agent although he had held the license on the Leichhardt Hotel in Mount Morgan in 1897. He took out a mortgage for £2000 on his interest in November 1900 and also £4912/1/2 on subs 14-17 in the same block in March 1901.[1]
There was a surge of building in Mount Morgan around the turn of the century and a number of new hotels were built. The Grand Hotel was probably constructed for Shaw and in late 1900 or early 1901 it was being run by Ernest Bale, a hotelier from Rockhampton. Shaw may have had financial problems, because the
In 1906 the property was formally acquired by the Queensland National Bank as Shaw was declared insolvent in 1904. Moulds died in 1907 and in early 1908 the property, now described as subdivision 1 on section 6 of resubdivision 11 of subdivision B, and measuring about 24 perches (610 m2), was acquired by Lucy Moulds, his widow. The property was purchased in 1917 by Francis Chardon, a butcher, who presumably purchased it as an investment. May Maykin purchased the license from 1920 to 1922.In 1923 a major fire occurred in the block along Morgan Street and the School of Arts was destroyed, probably also removing the series of small shops shown abutting the Grand Hotel in a 1913 photograph. In 1929 the hotel passed to James Hayes, a hotelier. Hayes ran the hotel until his death in an aircraft accident in 1937,[2] but Mrs Hayes and then Charlotte Hayes continued to operate it. The Hayes family acquired the block next to the hotel and in 1949 this and the original subdivision 1 were sold to Richard and Violet McLean, who had been at the Grand since about 1945. In 1989 the hotel passed to Frank (Tapper) and Rose Welsh.[1]
Changes occurring to the hotel over time have been relatively minor and include the painting of the bricks, which were originally a rich ochre red with contrasting cement render detail. The verandah facing Morgan Street on the upper level has been built in and some alterations to ground floor walls and the furnishing and decoration of the bars has occurred.[1]
The bat wing doors that were originally on the corner entrance of the hotel survive as exhibits in the local museum.[1]
Description
The Grand Hotel is a substantial two storey hotel prominently sited at the intersection of Mount Morgan's 2 principal streets. The hotel is constructed of brick and is L-shaped, addressing both street frontages, although the Central Street frontage is longer. The end walls, which face a laneway on Central Street and a vacant block on Morgan Street, are blank. The
On the upper level of the hotel,
Internally the main bar occupies the ground floor corner space and has plastered walls, a
The two storey timber house, which was at one time used as an extension of the hotel's accommodation, survives largely intact although the verandahs have been built in.[1]
Heritage listing
The Grand Hotel in Mount Morgan was listed on the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992 having satisfied the following criteria.[1]
The place is important in demonstrating the evolution or pattern of Queensland's history.
Mining has played an important role in the development of Queensland and Mt Morgan was an extraordinarily rich mine that operated for over a hundred years, making a major contribution to the economy of the state and the development of the region. As good quality hotel from an important period in the development of the township, the Grand Hotel demonstrates the rapid growth and importance of the field at the beginning of the twentieth century.[1]
The place is important in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a particular class of cultural places.
The Grand Hotel is important as a good example of a substantial regional hotel, designed for a prominent site and employing strong architectural features, including a corner tower and well detailed verandahs to attract custom.[1]
The place is important because of its aesthetic significance.
Because the Grand Hotel is a local landmark, being prominently sited on the major street intersection in the town, and is a well composed building of architectural merit it makes an important contribution to the streetscape and character of the town.[1]
References
Attribution
External links
Media related to Grand Hotel, Mount Morgan at Wikimedia Commons