Criterion Hotel, Rockhampton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Criterion Hotel |
|
|---|---|
Criterion Hotel, 2017
|
|
| Location | 150 Quay Street, Rockhampton, Rockhampton Region, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1870s–1890s (late 19th century) |
| Built | 1889–1890 |
| Architect | James Flint |
| Official name: Criterion Hotel | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 21 October 1992 |
| Reference no. | 600800 |
| Significant period | 1880s (fabric) 1890–ongoing (historical use) |
| Significant components | shed – storage, fireplace, chimney/chimney stack, tower, furniture/fittings |
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
The Criterion Hotel is a historic building located at 150 Quay Street in Rockhampton, Australia. It's a three-storey hotel that has been an important part of Rockhampton's community life since 1891. Designed by James Flint, it was built between 1889 and 1890. Today, it is recognized on the Queensland Heritage Register as a special historical site.
Contents
A Look Back at the Criterion Hotel
How Rockhampton Began
In 1855, before Queensland became its own state, the government wanted to find a good spot for a new town on the Fitzroy River. Rockhampton was chosen in 1856 and officially became a town in 1858. The very first building in Rockhampton was a store built in 1857.
The First Inn: The Bush Inn
About six months after the first store, Richard Parker built the first hotel, or "inn," in Rockhampton. It was called the Bush Inn and was made of strong iron-bark wood with a shingle roof. In 1858, a big event called the Canoona gold rush happened. Many people came to Rockhampton looking for gold, and the Bush Inn became very popular.
The Bush Inn was made bigger and rebuilt in 1859-1860. It became a single-storey building with a public entrance from the corner of Fitzroy Street and Quay Lane. It even had a coffee room and a billiard room.
From Bush Inn to Criterion Hotel
Richard Parker passed away in 1860, and his daughter Dorinda Ann Parker inherited the property. His wife, Maria, continued running the inn. In 1862, the license for the inn was given to John Ward. He changed the name from the Bush Inn to the Criterion Hotel.
Not long after, in 1862, the license was transferred to Thomas Nobbs. The Criterion Hotel was rebuilt again, this time as a two-storey wooden building with a verandah facing Fitzroy Street.
The Curtis Family's Influence
In 1865, Maria, who had remarried, and her new husband, John Cramp, took over the hotel's license. After Maria passed away in 1875, her daughter Dorinda Ann Parker took charge. Dorinda married George Silas Curtis in 1874. George Curtis was a well-known businessman and later a leader in the movement to make Central Queensland a separate state. The Curtis family owned the Criterion Hotel until 1947.
The Gold Rush and a Grand New Hotel
One of the hotel's managers in the early 1880s was Frederick Augustus Morgan. His brothers later discovered a huge gold deposit that became the famous Mount Morgan Mine. This mine brought a lot of wealth to Rockhampton, making it an important port. Hotels like the Criterion became even more important.
Dorinda Curtis decided to build a grand new three-storey hotel in 1889. People said it would be one of the finest hotels in Queensland. The new building was designed by James Flint, an architect from England who had moved to Rockhampton. He also designed other important buildings in the area.
Construction began in mid-1889 and cost a lot of money. The new Criterion Hotel was built on a corner, overlooking the Fitzroy River. The old Criterion Hotel building was kept nearby for other uses.
Opening the New Criterion
The new hotel was almost finished by August 1890. The local newspaper, The Capricornian, called it one of the town's sights. It had modern features like gas lighting and good ventilation. They even planned for electric lights and elevators, though these weren't installed right away. The hotel was considered very advanced for its time.
The new Criterion Hotel officially opened for business on October 21, 1890, with a special ball. It quickly became known as one of the best hotels in Southern Queensland. The old hotel building was used for things like display rooms for traveling salespeople and affordable lodging. It was eventually sold and taken down in 1957.
Famous Visitors and Wartime Use
The Criterion Hotel became famous for its fancy events and hosted many important guests over the years. These included Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester (who was Governor-General of Australia), his wife Princess Alice, former Prime Minister Sir Robert Menzies, famous singer Dame Nellie Melba, cricket legend Sir Donald Bradman, and pioneering aviator Charles Kingsford Smith.
Sporting teams, like touring English cricket teams, also stayed there. During World War II, the hotel was used by American soldiers. It even served as the headquarters for General Robert L. Eichelberger, who was in charge of many American troops in the Rockhampton area.
Changes Over the Years
The Curtis family owned the hotel until 1946, when it was sold to Henry Smith. In 1950, Charles and Jessica Bloxsom took over the license. Jessica described the beautiful building with its 42 bedrooms, many with balconies overlooking the river. She mentioned the grand entrance with marble steps, a large foyer with black and white marble floors, and a beautiful red cedar staircase.
The Bloxsoms made many improvements to the hotel, aiming to make it a more upscale place to stay. After them, the Smith family continued to own it. In the 1960s, they added a motel unit complex, which was a new idea for Rockhampton hotels. They also opened the first steakhouse in Central Queensland there.
.jpg)
In 1981, the hotel was bought by the Balkin and Melit families. They spent a lot of money to renovate it, giving it a French theme. The steakhouse became "Bonaparte's Theatre Restaurant," and another dining area became "Josephine's French restaurant." The hotel was even renamed "Bonaparte's Criterion Hotel" for a time. More renovations were done in 1989-1990 to celebrate the hotel's 100th anniversary.
In 1995, an outdoor gathering space at the back of the hotel was rebuilt. The new area, which opened in 1996, was named the Bush Inn, honoring the hotel's very first name.
What the Criterion Hotel Looks Like
The Criterion Hotel is a large, impressive three-storey brick building. It stands out on the corner of Quay and Fitzroy Streets in Rockhampton. Besides the main hotel, there are also some newer parts and older storage buildings on the property.
Outside Features
The hotel has fancy fronts facing both Quay and Fitzroy Streets. These fronts have three levels of verandahs (covered balconies). The ground floor verandah has an arcade with six arched openings and decorative iron railings. The first floor also has an arcade, and the second floor has pairs of columns with a masonry balustrade (a row of small columns). The corners of the building have special bays with arched windows and curved awnings.
A unique feature is the timber-framed tower on the corner of the building, which used to be the main entrance to the public lounge area. This tower has a steeply pitched roof.
Inside Features
You enter the hotel from Quay Street through a grand doorway with side windows and a large fanlight (a window shaped like a fan). The double entrance doors are made of beautiful wood.
Inside, the Criterion Hotel still has many original features. The walls are plastered, and the ceilings are often timber. There's high-quality woodwork throughout, including door frames and skirting boards. Many original fireplaces with timber surrounds and tiled or marble panels are still there.
The entrance leads to a small vestibule and then a grand foyer. The floor here is made of black and white marble tiles in a diamond pattern, with colorful borders. From the foyer, you can access the dining room, which is a large space with two tall cast iron columns. This room has many arched windows with beautiful stained glass.
The main staircase is a highlight. It's located in a semi-circular area and splits into two sections as it goes up, creating a grand effect. The staircase has a continuous handrail made of fine quality wood. The stair hall also has arched windows with colored glass.
The upper floors have hallways leading to many bedrooms. The rooms facing Quay Street have French doors that open onto the second-floor verandah.
Behind the hotel, there's a two-storey motel extension. Further back, there's an old timber storage shed with a large brick chimney.
Why the Criterion Hotel is Important
The Criterion Hotel was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on October 21, 1992, for several reasons:
- Showing History: The hotel shows how Rockhampton grew and became wealthy in the late 1880s because of the Mount Morgan Mine. It's also located near where the very first inn in Rockhampton was built, connecting it to the town's beginnings.
- Learning from the Past: Since it's been a licensed hotel for over 140 years, the site might still hold clues about earlier buildings and how people lived there.
- A Great Example: The Criterion Hotel is a fantastic example of a large brick hotel built in the 1880s in a regional Queensland town. It was designed to be a local landmark and offer excellent accommodation. It's still mostly in its original form, showing how such buildings were designed and used.
- Beautiful Design: The hotel is a very impressive building that adds a lot to the look of Rockhampton, especially on Quay Street. It's a local landmark. Inside, it has many beautifully made features, like the fine woodwork, grand staircase, plaster work, stained glass windows, and fireplaces.
- Community Connection: The people of Rockhampton value the Criterion Hotel because it has been a central place for social activities for over a century.
- Important People: The hotel is also important because of its connection to the Rockhampton architect James Flint, who designed this and other significant buildings in the area.
Images for kids
-
Two-storey weatherboard Criterion Hotel, circa 1873
-
Criterion Hotel, 1948
-
Criterion Hotel in 1992
