Revival plan for Imbil's historical Railway Hotel
AFTER 100 years, most of us will probably need a facelift.
And Imbil's Railway Hotel, claimed to be the oldest building in the town, is certainly getting one of those.
Although James Nash found some gold near Imbil (just before he found rather a lot of it at what is now Gympie), the town was originally part of the Imbil cattle station.
The Railway Hotel came along in 1914 as the population grew in response to subdivision and an emerging timber industry.
It took its name from the Mary Valley railway link, which was extended to Brooloo in 1915, prompting a second wave of trade, prosperity and growth for Imbil.
And while we should not make fun of age, some parts of the pub have obviously been there for quite a lot of that 100 years.
"No-one wants to work in those sort of conditions," Brian's wife Helen says of the laundry, soon to be enclosed as well as roofed.
Brian Hooper has owned the grand old timber building for about 30 years.
He leased the hotel out while he built and operated the Red Brick Motor Inn in Nambour.
Now back at the hotel, Mr Hooper is enthusiastic about its historical importance and he has set out to make sure it is still there - and still looking good - in another 100 years.
New stairs, bedrooms completely refurbished (and refurnished), new carpets, new stumps and a completely refitted kitchen are all part of the big job now under way.
The transformation taking place in the kitchen is stunning - a brand new gas cook top and a new four-basket deep fryer are part of it.
A new drive-through bottleshop, extra verandas, an extra lounge and expanded bar are part of the new look.
"All the bedrooms will have a new floor, carpets and new curtains are on the way," Mrs Hooper said.
"They'll all have TV, fridges and probably new beds," she said.
And of course, there will be new paint all round.
In the meantime, it's all hands on deck as Brian scouts for bargains and both he and Helen get in and work in the kitchen.
"We'll wash the dishes and peel potatoes or whatever needs to be done," she said.
Would two or three million dollars make a difference?
Brian and Helen Hooper certainly hope so.
Source: Gympie Times, Arthur Gorrie, 3rd November 2015
Originally published as: Revival plan for Imbil's historical Railway Hotel
