Historic landmark Rockhampton pub the Criterion Hotel Motel is being sold by multi-generational owners the Turnbull family.
Established in 1856 as the Bush Inn, it was the first hotel in the newly declared city of Rockhampton. In 1861 it was renamed the Criterion Hotel and has come to known by locals as simply ‘The Cri’.
In 1889 a grand new three-storey brick and stone structure was built on the adjacent lot, embodying the period, adorned in leadlight windows and featuring magnificent ornate stairways, the building capped by a belfry. In 1966 the motel unit complex was added on the southern side.
Beyond its Georgian styling its antiquity brings speculation of spectral activity, the most widely told story being of the supposed spirit of a jilted chambermaid, who reputedly took her life in the workers’ quarters.
Set prominently on the banks of the Fitzroy River, within Rockhampton’s revitalised riverfront precinct, it occupies a highly visible corner in the heart of the CBD, close to key commercial, accommodation and retail amenities.
Rockhampton is a hub of central coastal Queensland, serving as the gateway to the Capricorn Coast and Great Barrier Reef and hosting big events such as Rockynats and Beef Australia’s Beef Week, coming to town next year.
The activity and constant foot traffic have bolstered The Cri’s status as a social hub and made it one of Queensland’s most recognisable landmarks.
Hotel broker Leigh Turnbull was invited to live at the hotel for a short time, then sell it. But his wife, Carolyn, like it too much and the family has owned and operated it since 1991, with four generations having resided there.
They expanded the dining facilities with introduction in 1998 of 130-seat restaurant the Bush Inn Bar and Grill, and in 2004 they acquired the adjoining property and constructed a new 19-room motel.
The Hotel provides a classic corner bar, renowned ‘News Room’ bar, the Bush Inn Bar and Grill, the historic Parkers room for private and corporate events, and multiple levels of accommodation, comprising 26 pub-style rooms geared to short-term stays, accessed via a stunning foyer featuring marble flooring and chandeliers.
The rooms have seen some esteemed company, hosting the likes of Dame Nellie Melba, Charles Kingsford Smith, Sir Donald Bradman, former Australian prime minister Sir Robert Menzies, and the Duke of Gloucester, Prince Henry, during his time as the 11th governor-general of Australia, in 1946.
In recent years, since his parents’ retirement, Ryan Turnbull has been publican and lives onsite with his wife Megan. He recalls fond memories of his time at The Cri and how people simply “come in because of word of mouth”.
But his parents now retired and their children nearing the end of school, the couple have been eyeing moving out of the city and made the decision it is time to turn the page.
The high-profile freehold going concern is being offered to market via an Offer to Purchase campaign through Elders Commercial Rockhampton’s Pat O’Driscoll and Tony Fenlon, who suggest it is “well positioned to benefit” from the ongoing tourism, economic growth and infrastructure investment taking place in the region.
“The Criterion Hotel Motel represents a rare chance to acquire a generational asset in one of Queensland’s key regional cities,” says O’Driscoll. “Its scale, location, and historical significance provide a unique platform for a range of value-add strategies.”
