Racehorse Hotel

On 14th December 1880, William Kennedy applied to the Licensing Board for the District of Ipswich for a Provisional Certificate for a Publican's General License for

the Sale of Fermented and Spirituous Liquors, in the house and suppurtenances thereunto belonging which I intend to erect at Booval, and which will contain two sitting-rooms and six bed-rooms, exclusive of those rooms required by my family; and which I intend to keep as an Inn or Public-house, under the sign of the "Racehorse Hotel."

Kennedy was granted his license for his hotel, which was to be erected at Bundanba according to plans submitted to the Bench, in January 1881.  

Kennedy's application to the Licensing Board for his annual renewal of his Publican's General License (granted 19th April 1881), suggests the hotel was built by March 1881.

Following William Kennedy's death on the 24th January 1887 (aged 69), his wife Eliza Kennedy applied for the Racehorse Hotel's license.  Eliza remained at the hotel until the middle of 1888, when the license was taken over by William Lohoar.

The license of the Racehorse Hotel passed through a number of other hands, until tragedy struck on the morning of Sunday 26th June, 1932.  At about half-past three in the morning, a fire broke out in the centre of the building.  The flames spread quickly.  Harriet and John Jerks (the publicans), their niece and a porter were forced to flee the burning hotel in their 'night attire'.  The building, described as one of hte oldest licensed premises in the district, was completely destroyed, with nothing saved from the single story wooden structure.

The building was insured for £2000, the contents for £600, through the New Zealand Insurance Company.  A temporary premises was soon erected on the same site, however by October 1832, plans had been drawn for a new Racehorse Hotel, to be relocated to the corner of Brisbane Road and Stafford Street, on land that had been owned by William Dobbie Jr..  There was some oppositIon from the Head Master of the Bundamba State School (who claimed that the hotel 'would have an evil influence on the children passing to and from the school'), the Superintendent of the Mines Rescue Station and 79 locals who had signed a petition objecting to the move.  Despite these objections, approval was given and a new Racehorse Hotel was built about 200m from  its original site.