Lake Eacham Hotel

This fabulous hotel was established in 1910 by the Williams family in the centre of Yungaburra. They had an earlier shanty further along Mulgrave Road established in 1907. Pre-empting the railway construction, the family built this large timber hotel close to the railway station. Local timbers were used in its construction by the Sydes brothers including; cedar, red beech, bean and hardwood. It opened in time for the Christmas holidays in 1910. The new hotel was named the Lake Eacham Hotel, appealing to tourists who came to visit the lakes on the Atherton Tablelands. Maud Williams (later Kehoe) ran the hotel and is remembered as a cheerful hostess. Further hotel additions were made during 1926, when the Gillies Highway from Gordonvale reached Yungaburra. Again the hotel extensions were completed in time to cater for the Christmas holidaymakers. These new extensions reflect the popular Art Deco style of the day and were designed by architect Richard Hill and built by Michael Garvey. The Lake Eacham Hotel was the tourist centre of the district, providing guests with access to a golf course, tennis, swimming and boating on the lakes. Transport was provided through the Williams’ ‘White Cars’ service from Cairns.