West End Hotel, Townsville facts for kids
Quick facts for kids West End Hotel |
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![]() West End Hotel, 1999
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Location | 89 Ingham Road, West End, City of Townsville, Queensland, Australia |
Design period | 1870s - 1890s (late 19th century) |
Built | 1885 |
Official name: West End Hotel | |
Type | state heritage (built) |
Designated | 24 June 1999 |
Reference no. | 601028 |
Significant period | 1880s (fabric) 1885-ongoing (historical use) |
Significant components | kitchen/kitchen house |
Builders | Peter Dean |
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The West End Hotel is a very old hotel in Townsville, Queensland, Australia. It's located at 89 Ingham Road in an area called West End. A builder named Peter Dean built this hotel way back in 1885. Because it's so old and important, it was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on June 24, 1999. This means it's officially protected as a special historical place.
Contents
A Look Back: The Hotel's Story
The West End Hotel was built in 1885 by a builder from Townsville named Peter Dean. He was also the very first person to run the hotel.
Townsville's Early Days
When Townsville first started, people settled near the beach in the North Ward area. The main shops and businesses were along Ross Creek (which is now Flinders Street). As Townsville grew, people moved further along Flinders Street. This area became known as West End. By 1868, the West End Cemetery was already there. By 1878, West End had other businesses like the Carriers Arms Hotel, a soap factory, and a metal workshop.
Why the Hotel Was Built Here
By the time the West End Hotel was built in 1885, Townsville was a busy town. It supplied goods to farmers and miners in North Queensland. It had a port and was connected to other towns like Charters Towers and Hughenden by train.
The West End Hotel was built on Ingham Road. It was right across from the Pastoral and Agricultural Society Showgrounds and close to the Racecourse. Because it was on the edge of town, it was often the first stop for travelers coming from the countryside. They would arrive from places over Hervey's Range.
What the Hotel Looked Like
The hotel was a two-story building made of brick. The ground floor had a concrete floor. On the ground floor, there was a bar, three sitting rooms, a large dining room, and a billiard room with a big, new table. Upstairs, there was a large living room, eight bedrooms, and a bathroom. The wooden balcony upstairs looked out over the showgrounds and the mountains.
Special Stables for Race Horses
The hotel even had special places for race horses at the back! There were ten safe and airy stables for them. There were also regular stables for travelers' horses. Because the hotel was so close to the race track, these stables were always full during racing season. In 1886, the showgrounds were used often for sports events. The hotel was even where prizes were given out that year. It was also the last stop for the West End Omnibus Line. This bus traveled between Tattersalls Hotel in Flinders Street East and the West End Hotel.
Changes Over Time
Townsville kept growing. New roads led to goldfields at Ravenswood and Charters Towers. This meant that West End was no longer the main business area. Even though the hotel kept serving travelers, the area didn't grow much more until after World War II.
During World War II, the hotel would have been very busy. This was because an Australian Army camp was located nearby at the West End Cemetery. Today, the hotel still has rooms for rent, but it doesn't mostly serve travelers anymore. However, it is still a very popular hotel, especially during the Townsville Show Week.
The building has been damaged by three cyclones since it was built. It has been repaired, but some parts have changed or been lost. For example, the shape of the street awning has been changed recently.
What the Hotel Looks Like Today
The West End Hotel is located at the corner of Ingham Road and Jane Street. It's a two-story building shaped like a rectangle with a slanted corner. It's made of brick with wooden floors and a roof made of corrugated iron.
The Kitchen Building
Behind the main hotel, there is a separate, one-story brick building. This is the old kitchen. It also has a corrugated iron roof. There are many newer additions at the back of the hotel that connect to this old kitchen building.
Verandahs and Balconies
The main hotel building has a two-story wooden verandah and an awning along Ingham Road and Jane Street. Part of the top floor verandah has been closed in with glass and a criss-cross pattern of wood. The balcony has a fancy wooden railing that looks like a "union jack" flag design. The awning has wooden posts with a simple curved wooden decoration between them. This part is a newer addition. The roofs of the verandah and awning are also made of corrugated iron.
The Brickwork
The bricks are laid in a pattern called "English bond". The original red bricks have been painted over.
Doors and Windows
On the ground floor facing the street, there are four original double wooden doors with glass panels. Above these doors are small arched windows called fanlights. There are also two newer wooden doors with fanlights. The slanted corner of the building has a modern wooden door. On the side facing Jane Street, there are two more modern wooden doors with fanlights. The west side of the building is solid brick. The back of the building has three door openings and one window.
The first floor also has an uneven design. There are four original wooden doors with glass panels and fanlights on the west side of the main entrance to the verandah. On the east side, there are two more original wooden doors with glass panels and fanlights. Early photos show a door in the slanted corner and two doors on the side. The west side has one window. The back of the building has a blocked-up door opening and six windows with modern louvre glass.
The separate kitchen building has three door openings and a window on its front side. It also has a large chimney on its west side.
Inside the Hotel
Inside, on the ground floor, there's a main hallway. This hall leads to the staircase and rooms on both sides. To the west, there are two long rooms that are now used for pool tables. To the east, there's a bar with a newer U-shaped counter. At the back of the main building, there are several one-story rooms with slanted roofs. These include bar areas, kitchen space, and toilets.
The wooden staircase is simple. It goes up in one straight line to a middle landing, then turns and goes up to the first floor landing. It has simple wooden balusters (the small posts that support the handrail).
The first floor has a main hallway that leads to the verandah. To the west, there's a central hallway with three bedrooms on each side. The doors are wooden with four panels. To the east are the manager's living areas. These seem to have been made by changing four original bedrooms and a hallway into a kitchen and lounge area. The other rooms are still used as bedrooms. The enclosed verandah was not checked closely. The walls and ceilings have been covered with new sheets and wooden strips.
Even though some parts have changed, the overall shape, design, and inside layout of the building are still much the same. It still has most of its original wooden doors with glass panels on both floors, and other old wooden details.
Why the Hotel is a Heritage Site
The West End Hotel was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on June 24, 1999. This means it meets certain important rules.
Showing History
The hotel was built in 1885. It helps us understand where the town limits were back then. Its location is strongly connected to the Showground and the railway line. The building is important because it has been an operating hotel since 1885. This shows its strong link to how Townsville grew and expanded over time.
A Rare Example
The building is important because it is a rare example of an old hotel in North Queensland that still has its balcony. Very few hotels from that time still have their balconies, and even fewer have their original 1880s balcony railings.