Ipswich City Council presents
Heritage Week
Rubbidy-Dubs to PUBS
Then & Now

Other Information about Hotels

The first licenced hotel in Ipswich was the Queen’s Arms, owned by George Thorn. In the very early years of Ipswich, court sessions were occasionally held in the hotel. However the room used was so small that people not directly involved in a case had to stand on the footpath and look through the windows.

To obtain a hotel licence, publicans were required to advertise in local newspapers and if there were any doubts, their character and suitability were debated in the local licensing court and published in the local paper. In 1891, for example, Sergeant Brown stated in court that John Blagg was not a fit person to be in charge of the One Mile Hotel. Blagg’s solicitor objected, stating that there had never been any convictions against his client, but Mr Blagg decided to sell his licence anyway.

It is surprising how many hotels came to a fiery end. The Royal George, Rising Sun and Rosewood Hotel in Rosewood, the Royal James, Railway and Commercial in Harrisville, the Prince Alfred, Club, Clarendon, Ulster, Shamrock and Victoria Hotels in Ipswich were all destroyed or damaged by fire.

As townships grew, hotels provided the best facilities they possibly could to attract customers. Stables were important and usually featured prominently in advertisements. Once their horses were looked after, travellers expected a comfortable room, a choice of sitting rooms and a hearty meal. A billiard table was often available and required a special licence. A few larger hotels offered a separate “family branch”, presumably away from the rowdy behaviour in the bar.

Some hotels were quite small, perhaps four rooms and two sitting rooms. This is probably why so many hotels could survive in one area.

Slang for hotels include: pub, rubbity or rubbity-dub, shanty, watering hole, snake pit, grog shop, boozer, the local.

Former hotels in the Ipswich region include: Sawyers Arms, Carriers Arms, Highland Home, Swan, Shamrock, Cottage of Content, Engineers Arms, Red Cow, Bulls Head, Queens Arms, North Australian, Tattersalls, North Star, Churchill, Belle Vue, Railway, Queensland Arms, Criterion, Grande, the Post Office and Royal George at Marburg, the Railway Hotel at Harrisville, the Commercial at Rosewood.

There were several breweries in the Ipswich area including Booval Brewery and Johnson’s Brewery on King Edward Parade.

Historical Hotels of the Central Business District
Historical Hotels of the Eastern Suburbs of Ipswich
Historical Hotels of the Country Towns of Ipswich

Historical Hotels of the Central Business District
Historical Hotels of the Eastern Suburbs of Ipswich
Historical Hotels of the Country Towns of Ipswich