Residence 16-20 Cedar Street

This small private hotel, known as Williams Lodge, was built in 1911 for timber agent James Dunstan and his family. The house was built by contractor H Boyle from Malanda. The Dunstans moved to Sydney in May 1912 and named their new house ‘Yungaburra’. This Cedar Street house soon passed into the hands of the Williams family who owned the Lake Eacham Hotel and other property in town. Ned Willliams and his family occupied the house and he established the ‘White Cars’ service cars, which brought tourists to the tablelands from Cairns. Ned Williams died in 1919 and his wife died the following year. His brother Frederick moved into the house with his five children and raised his brother’s four youngsters. Rooms were added to the house to accommodate the large extended family. The ‘White Car’ business flourished after the opening of the Gillies Highway to Yungaburra in 1926. During WWII, the home was used to entertain American troops stationed on the Tableland. The house remained in the Williams family until 1976, when it was then converted into two flats. In recent times, it has been purchased by a Williams’ descendant and restored.