(Photo: State Library of Queensland & John Oxley Library; #APE-065-01-0008)
I notice that the building on the right in the photo is the "Royal Exchange Hotel", which no longer exists. An early owner of that property was another of Brisbane's prominent businessmen, one Patrick Mayne, who, from humble beginnings as a butcher, accumulated such substantial property in Brisbane that he became one of the town's wealthiest citizens. We will hear more of him in later posts here. The hotel disappeared long ago, and on that site now is a newer building that contains several floors of Borders, the book store. There is an "Exchange Hotel" elsewhere in the CBD, but that was named after the stock exchange. A "Royal Exchange Hotel", known these days as "The RE" also exists out at Toowong, and is a university student haunt of note.
(Photo: © 2009 the foto fanatic)
And what of Perry House these days? In a very common story, after its years as a commercial building and having been used by the US military during WWII, it has been reinvented as accommodation. It is now the "Royal Albert", a boutique hotel, the Albert coming of course from Albert Street. It was very wise of the developers not to name it the "Prince Albert", wasn't it? ;-)
Click here for a Google Map.
tff
Next: Stone the crows!
I notice that the building on the right in the photo is the "Royal Exchange Hotel", which no longer exists. An early owner of that property was another of Brisbane's prominent businessmen, one Patrick Mayne, who, from humble beginnings as a butcher, accumulated such substantial property in Brisbane that he became one of the town's wealthiest citizens. We will hear more of him in later posts here. The hotel disappeared long ago, and on that site now is a newer building that contains several floors of Borders, the book store. There is an "Exchange Hotel" elsewhere in the CBD, but that was named after the stock exchange. A "Royal Exchange Hotel", known these days as "The RE" also exists out at Toowong, and is a university student haunt of note.

And what of Perry House these days? In a very common story, after its years as a commercial building and having been used by the US military during WWII, it has been reinvented as accommodation. It is now the "Royal Albert", a boutique hotel, the Albert coming of course from Albert Street. It was very wise of the developers not to name it the "Prince Albert", wasn't it? ;-)
Click here for a Google Map.
tff
Next: Stone the crows!
i think my mum used to work in that building, in the early 70s
ReplyDeleteHi - which business did she work for?
ReplyDeletei think it was called Ostas (that's how it sounded - maybe it was Aus-tass) - maybe a call answering service or something like that, i'll check with my sister, she'll remember
ReplyDelete