Hides Hotel

The foundation stone of the new Hides' Cairns Hotel was laid by owner Denis O'Hara Junior on 16 May 1928. George Hides and Duncan McColl had established the first Hides Hotel in an adjacent site in 1885, and it was the most fashionable hotel in Cairns in that era. With a view to continuing the reputation for quality, Cairns architect Sydenham Stanley Oxenham was called upon to design the new Hides Hotel. Local builder M T Garvey used local timbers throughout. At the time of construction, it was one of the largest buildings in Cairns, and was one of only two three-storeyed structures in the city, the other being Boland's store. By 1936, the building was extended along Shields Street, with the addition of two shops at ground level and two levels of bedrooms above. The O'Hara family retained the property until 1946, when it was transferred to Burns Philp & Company Ltd. Alterations to the ground floor of the hotel were made in 1967, at which time the first Cairns Hotel was demolished and replaced with a motel wing. Hides Hotel celebrated 130 years of operation in 2015 and offers affordable accommodation in a heritage setting.