gympieregionallibraries

Boarding House, Mellor Street

75 Mellor Street Gympie (beside current Soma Soma cafe and formerly Johnson’s Store)

Grosvenor Boarding House

Known as:
Grosvenor Boarding House
Central Boarding House
City Boarding House
Federal Boarding House
Maryhill Boarding House
Oxford Boarding House

This grand house has an interesting and rich history.

We are currently researching the very early history of this property known as a boarding house. Here’s what we know …..

1901

14 September 1901, p. 5, The Gympie Times and Mary River Mining Gazette

1909

22 May 1909, p. 2, The Gympie Times and Mary River Mining Gazette
23 November 1909, p. 2, The Gympie Times and Mary River Mining Gazette

1913

5 July 1913, p. 6, Thomas and Moore Auctioneers, The Gympie Times and Mary River Mining Gazette
Thomas and Moore Auctioneers, 7 August 1913, page 3, Notes and News, The Gympie Times and Mary River Mining Gazette

Our earliest council property registers records Marion Dunn as owner circa 1914. Marion and husband John (Joe) were licensees of the Railway Hotel and purchased the property known as Federal Boarding House in August 1913.

Sometime in 1914, ownership of the property was transferred to John Gierke, when Marion and husband John applied for publicans license of the Osbourne Hotel at Sandgate. John Gierke was proprietor of the Grand Hotel, Gympie just across the road. He was also a well known butcher with his shop established in Mellor Street.

In 1915, the Federal Boarding house was listed for sale (looking for a quick sale, listed as a bargain). It seems the buyer was Thomas Hansen, as council records indicate his ownership from around 1916 until the end of 1925.

June 1915, The Gympie Times and Mary River Mining Gazette

Mrs W. Campbell notifies the public of Gympie and surrounding districts that she has taken over “Maryhill House” (late Federal Boarding House).

9 June 1917, page 4, The Gympie Times and Mary River Mining Gazette

The property is again listed for sale, circa 1919.

16 January 1919, page 2, The Gympie Times and Mary River Mining Gazette

Katherine Groundwater purchased the property on 19 November 1925 and ran the Maryhill Boarding House. The boarding house catered for railway workers and crew.

Katherine (known as Kate) sadly died 29 April 1929 and husband George William Groundwater, as administrator sold the property to Arthur Joseph Johnston on 7 May 1930 for £800. Along with his brother Leo, Arthur Johnson operated the boarding house (and the next door shop) with their wives Gwen and Edith. It was then known as Oxford Boarding House.

Over time, the verandahs and viewing platform have been closed in.

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