Central Hotel

The Hotel Central has been part of Maryborough’s heart and history for more than 160 years. Its origins trace back to 1863, when Edward Priddy built the Carpenter’s Arms Hotel on the site, alongside his music hall. The venue quickly became a hub for theatre-goers, travellers and locals, evolving into the Shakespear Hotel as the adjoining Theatre Royal grew into a centre for entertainment, concerts, meetings and balls.

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After fires and rebuilds in the late 1800s, a substantial two-storey brick building was completed in 1885 on the corner of Adelaide and Ellena Streets. Known as the Royal Exchange, it was one of the most prominent hotels in the city. Over the following decades, it changed hands but remained central to Maryborough’s social and commercial life

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The defining transformation came in 1916, when owner John Stump engaged renowned architect F.H. Faircloth to extend and modernise the hotel. With 30,000 locally made bricks, the revamped building offered unprecedented comforts: hot and cold water to every room, airy bedrooms and dining spaces, lounges, a semi-circular bar, private parlours, and even a rooftop garden. It was then renamed the Hotel Central — a title that reflected both its location and its status as one of Maryborough’s leading establishments.

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For much of the 20th century, the Hotel Central was intertwined with the life of the city. Under the stewardship of the Stump and Dalton families, it welcomed visitors, hosted community organisations such as the Queensland Country Women’s Association, and stood alongside the grand Embassy Theatre, built in 1935 by John Stump for his daughter Coigne. Through renovations and changing styles — from verandahs to cantilevered awnings — the Hotel Central kept evolving while retaining its role as a landmark of comfort and hospitality.

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Generations of Maryborough residents and travellers have known the Hotel Central as more than a place to stay — it has been a meeting point, a social stage, and a lasting feature of the streetscape. Today, under the ownership of the Archaeo Converge Group, the building is undergoing extensive restoration. The vision is to preserve its heritage character while preparing it for a new future, ensuring that the Hotel Central continues to be both a proud reminder of the city’s past and a vibrant part of its ongoing story.

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Throughout the renovations, Converge has been undertaking archaeological monitoring and a c.1860s well and botte dump from the original hotel was uncovered. Converge is also undertaking heritage supervision of the works in the building.

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