Hotels - Palais Royal Hotel, Ipswich

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: [unknown]
Surname/tag: Hotels O_Reilly

For many years the Palais Royal Hotel stood as an imposing building on the south-west corner of Brisbane and East Streets and was one of Ipswich’s larger hotels. Originally built in 1859, it was to be demolished more than one hundred years later, in 1970, to make way for the Ipswich Tavern. ^[1]

The original building on the site is said to have been the home of George Thorne Snr ^[2] but it is unclear if the 1859 building incorporated the house.

Peter O'Reilly (1889-1952) held the license from 1946 until 1949^[3]

1946

PALAIS ROYAL HOTEL — IPSWICH. Under Instructions from the Trustees of the Estate of M. A. BILTOFT Deceased we will submit to Public Auction at out Mart. 104 Brisbane Street, Ipswich, At 2:30 P.M. FRIDAY, 12 July 1946, the lease, License, Goodwill, Furniture, and Plant of the Plais Royal Hotel. Subject to provisions of Lease No. A466647 dated 24th June, 1940. PERIOD: 2 years 11 months from 1st August, 1946. The Palais Royal is a commodious two-storied brick hotel centrally situated at corner Brisbane and East Streets, Ipswich. A Free House, enjoying a reputation over many years as one of the most desirable Licensed Businesses In Southern Queensland. Full particulars of Lease, Bar, and House trading, Furniture and Plant will be furnished to bona fide prospective purchasers on application to JACKS0N & MEYERS, AUCTIONEERS & VALUERS - IPSWICH.^[4]

Mr. P, ("Pop") O'Reilly, licencee of the Australian Hotel, Boonah, will leave soon for Ipswich, where he will take over the lease hold of the Palais Royal Hotel. Mr. T. Purcell, of the City View Hotel, Brisbane, is to take over the licence of the Australian Hotel, Boonah. ^[5]

Mr. and Mrs. T O'Reilly entertained visiting members of their family at a dinner party on Christmas Day at the Palais Royal Hotel. Their guests included their son Mr. P. O'Reilly of Nanango; Mr. and Mrs. Colin McAllum, of Toowoomba; Mr. and Mrs. Frank O'Reilly of Esk; and Mr. and Mrs. Kevin O'Reilly and family of Boonah.^[6]

1948

Damaged Chairs In Hotel Michael Joseph Hogan, 23, apprentice coach painter at the Ipswich Railway Workshops, was convicted and fined yesterday when he pleaded guilty to charges that, on March 4, 1948, he stole a sponge rubber cushion valued at £1 the property of Peter O'Reilly, and that on the same date he wilfully and unlawfully I damaged the upholstery of two lounge chairs valued at £2, the property of Peter O'Reilly. Defendant was ordered also to make restitution of £3. Senior Sergeant W. Hennessey, who prosecuted, stated that, on March 4, at about 10.15 p.m., a complaint was receved from Mrs. O'Reilly, wife of the licencee of the Palais Royal Hotel (Peter O'Reilly), to the effect that the patent leather upholstery on two of the chairs in the hotel lounge had been torn to pieces. The sponge rubber cushion under the upholtsery of one of those chairs had been stolen. Mrs. O'Reilly described the suspect, who had been seated in one of the chairs that had been damaged, and stated that he had been drinking there with three other men since between 9 and 9.30 p.m. When she ushered them to their seats the seats of all the chairs had been in good condition The men left the lounge a about 10 p.m., and shortly after they had gone, Mrs. O'Reilly discovered the damage to the chairs, and that the rubber cushion was missing from one. ADMITTED OFFENCES. Inquiries later revealed that the man who had been seated on the chair from which the cushion was stolen was named Hogan, and it was thought that he resided at the Prince of Wales Hotel, Ipswich. At about 7.45 p.m. on March 8 Constable Toohill and Constable Cooke located Hogan at the Metropole Hotel, and questioned him regarding the chairs. He admitted having committed the offences, and stated that he had been drunk at the time, and did not know what he was doing. He had thrown the rubber seat in a laneway near the Town Hall. Senior Sergeant Hennessey added that defendant was a single man, and had served three years in the R.A.A.F., part of which service was overseas. Nothing was known against him previously. Defendant elected to be summarily dealt with, and pleaded guilty to each charge. To the Bench defendant said that he did not know what he was doing at the time, and he was willing to make restitution. Defendant was convicted, fined £2, and ordered to pay 6/ costs of court, in default seven days' imprisonment, on the first charges. On the second charge he was convicted, fined £3. and ordered to pay 6/ costs of court, in default seven days' imprisonment. He was ordered also to make restitution of £1 and £2 respectively.^[7]

1949

Sporting events to be staged at Toowoomba include the South-west Queensland golf titles. Darling Downs Easter bowls carnival, and the Darling Downs Gold Cup tennis tour nament. Nearly 100 players from Brisbane will compete in the tennis tournament. Mr. P. O'Reilly, licensee of the Palais Royal Hotel, Ipswich, said yesterday that visitors and band contestants had taken all the available accommodation in Ipswich. Most of the 560 bandsmen of 26 bands competing in the Ipswich Easter band contest, to begin tomorrow, are being billeted in private homes. ^[8]

Mr. and Mrs. P. O'Reilly, Palais Royal Hotel, entertained their staff at a farewell dinner and champagne party at the Palais Royal Hotel on Wednesday night: Presentations were made to each member of the staff, and guests spent a very haply evening. ^[9]

Sources

1. ↑ https://www.slq.qld.gov.au/blog/queensland-places-palais-royal-hotel-ipswich
2. ↑ Matthewson, Thomas, Ipswich in the 1850s, Journal of the Royal Historical Society of Queensland, 6/2, 1959, p436
3. ↑ 17 October 1946 to 11 July 1949, Queensland State Archives, Item ID ITM157121
4. ↑ The Courier-Mail, Mon 8 Jul 1946. p. 10.
5. ↑ Queensland Times, Sat 12 Oct 1946. p. 2.
6. ↑ Queensland Times, Fri 27 Dec 1946, p. 4.
7. ↑ Queensland Times, Wed 10 Mar 1948. p. 5.
8. ↑ Sunday Mail, Sun 10 Apr 1949. p. 4.
9. ↑ Queensland Times, Fri 24 Jun 1949. p. 4.