Our Profile:

Charters Towers provides a  fascinating glimpse of a bygone era with many interesting sites and tours available and the Park Motel and Lissner's Restaurant is no exception, with our main building historically preserved in time.

The main building, including the Park Motel Office and Lissner's Restaurant, was built in 1882 and is a charming reminder of years long ago. It has an long and interesting history of being a hotel, services club WW2, hospital WW2, and used as a school building for a number of years for both St Columba and Black Heath and Thornburgh. 

History of the Park Motel:

The Park Hotel was built and owned by the Roberts family in 1882, next to Lissner Park, the central park of Charters Towers.  The Park Hotel was known as the 'Grand Old Lady' of Charters Towers, for 50 years. The Park Hotel had a fruitful life until the liquor licence was suspended from 1942-1945.  During this time the building was occupied by Mt Carmel College when the college itself was utilised as a military hospital.  The building was then used a servicemen's club during World War II.

In 1945 the hotel was relicensed and the licensee was Violet Bagnall.  The afternoon of 9 February 1946 the rain came down in torrents.  The water poured in through the doorways and within minutes fire in the wood stove in the kitchen was submerged.  The bar room was over knee deep in water and customers and staff sought refuge on the steps of the old stairway leading upstairs. This is the only time in our recorded history for flooding to occur through the building. 

The liquor licence was suspended permanently in 1948.

The building was sold shortly afterwards to Blackheath and Thornburgh College for use as classrooms.  It remained as such for some years up until the mid 1970s. 

Several persons owned the old hotel building until 1977 when Mr John Sanders purchased it.  He intended to turn the place into a mini caravan park and kiosk but this did not eventuate.  The old place then became the centre of a court case when it was to be demolished and made into a supermarket.  This was not to be either as the location was chosen to be in Gill Street. 

Margo and Ernie Harding purchased the old Park Hotel building in late 1980.  It was in a very derelict condition.  1982 saw many changes at the corner of Mosman and Deane Streets.  The old building was restored to an operational condition.  The first 17 units and restaurant were opened for business the last week of April 1982.  On 22nd February 1987, fire destroyed what was the family living area and the Mosman Street verandah in the upstairs floor of the original building.  Restoration work was finally completed at the end of June 1987.  An additional four rooms were opened at the Park Motel & Restaurant in March 1988 bringing the total number of units to 27. 

The Park Motel & Restaurant was sold to the Foote family in September 1989 with the present restoration completed in May 1991. 

The current proprietors are Ron & Sandi Clavis and they have been operating the business since 2nd September 2004.
Ron and Sandi are happy to give you a tour of the old building.