Empire Hotel, Queenstown

The Empire Hotel, which has been called the "grand old lady" of the West Coast,[1] is a landmark two-storey heritage listed building located in Queenstown, Tasmania, Australia. It is located on the corner of Orr and Driffield Streets, across the road from the Queenstown railway station of the time.[2] It was still in operation as of August, 2023 [3]

Empire Hotel
General information
Statusrenovated
Location2 Orr Street
Queenstown, Tasmania
Coordinates42°04′50″N 145°33′20″E
Completed1901

Construction was by James Wilson of Zeehan for the developers Parer and Higgins[4] and it has had several owners during its history.[5][6] It was subject to annual visits by the Licensing Court, which checked for compliance with the requirements applicable to the interior and exterior of the hotel.[7][8]

Empire Hotel-Queenstown, Tasmania Staircase made of Tasmanian Blackwood
Empire Hotel, Queenstown, Tasmania Staircase made of Tasmanian Blackwood

The staircase is National Trust listed.[1] It is made from Tasmanian Blackwood. The raw timber was shipped to England, carved and shipped back to Queenstown for installation.

The company Parer & Higgins[9] owned by John Arthur Parer and William Higgins built and licensed The New Empire Hotel to Michael Parer as it was originally known for several years.[10] It and several other hotels in Queenstown and the surrounding Zeehan district were owned by Parer's including the Imperial Hotel which was owned and licensed to Michael Parer and Smelters Hotel which was owned and licensed to Francis Parer who lived in the St Kilda Pier Pavilion in Melbourne for decades. Michael's younger brother John Parer owned The Empire Hotel until he sold it in April 1925 to Mr Thomas Cook who had been the licensee for the previous nine years.

The Parer's Michael, Francis and John were part of Parer Bros Pty Ltd., which built and operated hotels, baths and cafes across Tasmania, King Island and Victoria including Parer's Crystal Cafe and Parer Bros on Bourke Street. Michael Parer, after his time in Queenstown, leased The Empire Hotel (originally The Rock) in Hobart then The Parer Hotel, shipped from Tasmania and erected in Currie on King Island. At one time it was his grand plan to operate Empire Hotels across Australia, the Queenstown one being the first.

Michael Parer's second son was Ray Parer. John Arthur Parer's youngest son was Damien Parer and his grandson is David Parer. William Higgins' great granddaughter is Missy Higgins.

References
  1. Tourism Tasmania, empire Hotel, accessed 30 August 2023
  2. "Empire Hotel, Queenstown". Zeehan and Dundas Herald. Vol. XI, no. 267. Tasmania, Australia. 22 August 1901. p. 4. Retrieved 25 September 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. "Home". empirehotel.net.au. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  4. "Queenstown Improvements". Zeehan and Dundas Herald. Vol. XI, no. 183. Tasmania, Australia. 16 May 1901. p. 4. Retrieved 25 September 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. "QUEENSTOWN PROPERTY DEAL". The Mercury. Vol. CXXII, no. 17, 937. Tasmania. 23 April 1925. p. 6. Retrieved 25 September 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. "QUEENSTOWN LICENSING COURT". The Advocate. Tasmania. 17 December 1936. p. 10. Retrieved 25 September 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. "A QUEENSTOWN HOTEL". The Advocate. Tasmania, Australia. 24 December 1935. p. 8 (DAILY). Retrieved 25 September 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. "EMPIRE HOTEL". The Advocate. Tasmania. 15 March 1938. p. 8. Retrieved 25 September 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. "Parer & Higgins serve alcohol to the world". Parer History. 16 February 2018. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  10. "The West Coast of Tasmania". Parer History. 8 February 2018. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
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