• Menu
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Before Header

  • About
  • World Map
  • Work With Us
  • Disclosure/Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us

Budget Travel Talk

Road Trips Caravan Camping Australia & World on a Budget

  • Home
  • Our Blog
  • Destinations
    • Australia Travel Blog
      • New South Wales
      • Queensland
        • Cairns
        • Sunshine Coast
        • Townsville
      • Tasmania
    • Asia
      • Cambodia
      • Japan
      • Laos
      • Singapore
      • Thailand
      • Vietnam
    • Americas
      • Canada
      • U.S.A.
    • Europe
      • Bosnia and Hercegovina
      • Croatia
      • Italy
      • Montenegro
      • Portugal
      • Slovenia
      • Spain
      • Turkey
        • Istanbul
    • Africa
      • Morocco
    • New Zealand / Pacific
  • Journey
    • Road Trips
    • Trains
    • Boat Trips
  • Travel Tips
    • Reviews
    • Destination Guides
    • Itineraries
    • Self Guided Walking Tours
    • Travel Resources
    • Budget Tips
    • Buying Guides
    • Interviews
  • Accommodation
    • Airbnb
    • Caravan Parks
    • Free Camping
    • Hotels
    • Housesitting
  • Experience
    • Food to Love
    • Festivals
    • Markets
    • Palaces and Castles
    • Ruins
    • Short Walks
    • Street Art
    • Bike Rides
  • Search
  • Home
  • Our Blog
  • Destinations
    • Australia Travel Blog
      • New South Wales
      • Queensland
        • Cairns
        • Sunshine Coast
        • Townsville
      • Tasmania
    • Asia
      • Cambodia
      • Japan
      • Laos
      • Singapore
      • Thailand
      • Vietnam
    • Americas
      • Canada
      • U.S.A.
    • Europe
      • Bosnia and Hercegovina
      • Croatia
      • Italy
      • Montenegro
      • Portugal
      • Slovenia
      • Spain
      • Turkey
        • Istanbul
    • Africa
      • Morocco
    • New Zealand / Pacific
  • Journey
    • Road Trips
    • Trains
    • Boat Trips
  • Travel Tips
    • Reviews
    • Destination Guides
    • Itineraries
    • Self Guided Walking Tours
    • Travel Resources
    • Budget Tips
    • Buying Guides
    • Interviews
  • Accommodation
    • Airbnb
    • Caravan Parks
    • Free Camping
    • Hotels
    • Housesitting
  • Experience
    • Food to Love
    • Festivals
    • Markets
    • Palaces and Castles
    • Ruins
    • Short Walks
    • Street Art
    • Bike Rides
  • Search
Queens Hotel Townsville 2014

Tuesday in Townsville The Queens Hotel

January 21, 2014 By Jan Robinson 10 Comments

This post may contain compensated links. We may earn a small percentage if you book through a compensated link, but it won’t cost you any more by doing so. You can read our full disclaimer here.


Although Queens Hotel Townsville no longer operates as a hotel, I am lucky to remember a time when it did.  

My first memory is of attending a wedding breakfast there.  It had a grand sweeping staircase into the foyer – the perfect platform for the bride to launch the bridal bocquet from.  The polished dance floor opened onto the downstairs verandah – a romantic place to adjourn to.

I remember well when a ground floor coffee shop opened on The Strand and Wickham Street corner of the building.  Being the only late night coffee shop in town made it very popular with us (then) teenagers.

The upstairs hotel rooms that opened to long verandah views across Anzac Park were a favourite place for graziers and mine workers to stay when they came to town.

When life as a hotel ended the building was used as a Television Station head office, and is now privately owned.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to see this beautiful building return to life as a hotel… The Queens Hotel. Townsville.

QUEENS HOTEL TOWNSVILLE AUSTRALIA 2014

Queens Hotel Townsville 2014Queens Hotel Collage

Queens Hotel Verandah

CLICK HERE TO VIEW A 1926 SILENT MOVIE OF “QUEENS HOTEL TOWNSVILLE”- It takes less than one minute.

Points of Interest.

In 1899 John Tyack purchased the timber version of The Queens Hotel, developing it into it’s present state in the early 1920’s, although he did not live to see it’s completion.  During his time as the Mayor of Townsville he encouraged the development of the Strand and parklands at the front of his hotel.

The hotel was used as an American Officer’s Club during WWII.

There is a rumour that an underground tunnel connects this building with Customs House which was used by the military during WWII.  Tunnels have been found leading from the dungeons beneath Customs house but none to the hotel as yet.

Thanks for joining me for Tuesday in Townsville.  Have you been to the Queens Hotel Townsville or visited the tunnels beneath Customs House?

 

Read our comprehensive post on Fun Things to Do in Townsville here.

 

More from my site

  • A Panoramic View over Sintra:  Castelo MourosA Panoramic View over Sintra: Castelo Mouros
  • Marooned on the MekongMarooned on the Mekong
  • The Left Bank – Townsville Riverway – Fantastic FridayThe Left Bank – Townsville Riverway – Fantastic Friday
  • Spotlight on MoclinSpotlight on Moclin
  • Read Interview and Stay with Gumtree Farmstay Oamaru, New ZealandRead Interview and Stay with Gumtree Farmstay Oamaru, New Zealand
  • Townsville Strand RotundaTownsville Strand Rotunda

Filed Under: Australia Travel Blog, Destination, Experience, Townsville

About Jan Robinson

Jan Robinson writes about travel on her Budget Travel Talk blog. A solo traveller in her teens, for the last 40 years Jan has travelled through Australia, Asia, Europe, Turkey and New Zealand with her husband. They specialise in road trips, caravanning and Independent travel without spending a fortune. Her favourite destination is Turkey and she is currently dreaming of Myanmar and Mexico.

Previous Post: «Antayla Bride with Balloons Fantastic Friday Bride with Balloons in Antayla
Next Post: Kampot Sunset at The Front Kampot River Mauve Sunset»

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. jenny@atasteoftravel

    January 21, 2014 at 10:10 pm

    How fabulous for Townsville that the hotel is being restored and once again will have people sweeping down the staircase!

    Reply
    • Jan

      January 22, 2014 at 8:20 am

      Hi Jenny, The hotel is privately owned and looks good from the outside. Inside I think it may be used as storage. It would be nice to see it open to the public again.:)

      Reply
  2. Lisa Wood

    January 22, 2014 at 2:33 pm

    What a shame its not opened up to the public 🙂
    What a great old building, be good to see it used for Dances, Weddings and Functions – would love to find that secret tunnel 🙂

    Reply
    • Jan

      January 22, 2014 at 7:51 pm

      Gosh I wish it was open too Lisa. I hope it will open to the public in some way in the future.

      Reply
  3. Krista

    January 22, 2014 at 2:38 pm

    I enjoyed that little movie so much! 🙂 How delightful to see the people sitting, reading, visiting, just like we would today. 🙂

    Reply
    • Jan

      January 22, 2014 at 7:52 pm

      I was so happy to find that movie Krista. It made me remember when I was there. 🙂

      Reply
  4. Luke

    January 26, 2014 at 12:10 am

    One of my ancestors was the first Mayor of Townsville. The place reminds me of Launceston in Tasmania except a lot hotter and a lot less crappy! lol

    Reply
    • Jan

      January 26, 2014 at 9:27 am

      Ha ha – small world 🙂

      Reply
    • Lori-Anne Thompson

      July 29, 2023 at 12:06 am

      Hi Luke, are you related to John Melton Black? If so, I’d really love to hear any family memories of him, the Criterion Hotel, Andrew Ball, Mark Watt Reid, Charles Saville Rowe and any other family memories of early Townsville. Thanks, Lori-Anne

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Best Kissing Spots in Townsville says:
    February 12, 2016 at 10:21 am

    […] a little girl I thought the way this fountain changed colour was magical. I still do. The Queens Hotel on the left and Customs House opposite provide more kissing spot […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Follow Us

Categories

Budget Travel Talk's posts relating to Australia Budget Travel Talk's posts relating to Townsville Budget Travel Talk's posts relating to Bosnia Budget Travel Talk's posts relating to Cambodia Budget Travel Talk's posts relating to Canada Budget Travel Talk's posts relating to Croatia Budget Travel Talk's posts relating to Italy Budget Travel Talk's posts relating to Laos Budget Travel Talk's posts relating to Montenegro Budget Travel Talk's posts relating to Morocco Budget Travel Talk's posts relating to New Zealand Budget Travel Talk's posts relating to Slovenia Budget Travel Talk's posts relating to Spain Budget Travel Talk's posts relating to Turkey Budget Travel Talk's posts relating to the United States of America Budget Travel Talk's posts relating to Vietnam

Pinterest

Visit Budgettraveltalk's profile on Pinterest.

Top Australian and New Zealand Blogger for 2017

Im-a-Top-Australian-and-New-Zealand-Travel-Blogger-for-2017-Medium-Rectangle-300x250px (1)

Mature Bloggers Australia

Mature Bloggers Australia

Footer

Most Popular Posts

Whitsundays on a Budget – How to Get to Whitehaven Beach

Romantic Things for Couples to do in Rome including Valentines Day

Things to Do in Huskisson and Jervis Bay

Hobart to Bruny Island: Tours from Hobart or Self Drive Bruny Island?

Ferry to Eyup Istanbul for Pierre Loti views and Eyup Sultan Istanbul Mosque 2018

About Jan & Marty

We are Jan and Marty and we love travel.

The best thing about being in our 60’s is that our travel budget is flexible, allowing us to enjoy great experiences, good food and fun people. As with most things in life, it’s all about priorities.

Copyright © 2023 Budget Travel Talk - Journey. Destination. Experience.