Buildings
The first hotels were bark shanties until the towns prospered and more substantial structures were built.
The Herberton Hotel commenced trading in 1880 in a bark shanty before a one storey building was constructed. In 1905/6 a second storey was added. The building was renovated in contemporary style in 1970 before licence was cancelled in 1971.
The Malanda Hotel was built in 1911 with extensions in 1917 and 1928 making it the largest wooden hotel in Australia. It is built from local timbers.
Atherton’s first hotel in Cook Street was a single story structure servicing Cobb and Co coaches. In 1891 a two storey hotel was constructed.
The Atherton Hotel built in 1903 was a 36 room hotel with 28 bedrooms but as was the fate of so many it was destroyed by fire in 1944 and because of a shortage of materials after WW2 it was not completed until 1954.
The Royal Hotel Herberton was originally a single storey building with the second storey added in 1914.
In 1908 Tolga 2 two storey hotels were in erected.
Ravenshoe’s hotels were both two storey structures 1911 Club and 1927 Ravenshoe.
Tumoulin’s two storey Pioneer Hotel erected in 1912 by Woodsell for Dan Woods was constructed entirely of maple.
The Kureen Hotel completed at a cost of 2500 pounds was a 22 room two story structure.
Other two storey hotels built were Railway Atherton, 1896 Criterion Herberton, 1933 Grand Atherton, 1890 Innot Hot Springs, 1912 Kairi, 1921 Millaa Millaa, 1898 Mount Garnet, 1911 Peeramon, 1881 Post Office Herberton, Royal Mount Garnet, 1897 Exchange Atherton.
Some hotels were relocated from other locations such as the Commercial Hotel (now the Tolga) which was originally the Kureen Hotel. The Carriers Arms Hotel in Carrington was the Gympie Hotel on the Hodgkinson goldfields.
The Federal Hotel Mount Garnet was moved to Chillagoe in 1910 to become a hotel there.
When the Martintown Hotel in Tolga was sold in 1918 the timber from it was used to build the Atherton Butter Factory, due to a shortage of materials after WW1.
The Allumbah Pocket Hotel was built in 1903 and when the Lake Eacham Hotel was built in 1910 to replace it the timber was used to build some of the stores in Yungaburra.
Most hotels were built from local timbers which made them susceptable to fire.
Hotels destroyed by fire include 1944 Atherton, 1930 Commonwealth Atherton, 1896 Criterion Herberton, 1930 Exchange Atherton, 1924 Federal Herberton, 1896 Mining Exchange Herberton, 1913 Nigger Creek Wondecla, 1930 Pioneer Tumoulin, 1930 Post Office Herberton, 1903 Rocky Creek, 1973 Royal Mount Garnet, 1917 Royal Tolga, 2010 Tarzali Tavern, 1988 Millaa Millaa. Some of these hotels were not rebuilt.
Heritage status has been granted to two hotels due to their historical and architectural attributes. These include the Barron Valley Hotel Atherton completed in 1941 in art deco style. It was the headquarters to General Sir Thomas Blaney Australian commander during WW2. The Lake Eacham Hotel was built in 1910 and extended in 1926. It features silky oak throughout with a Queensland maple staircase.