Image TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage Tile
Image size: 4608x6144 Scale: 35% - PanoJS3
Page overview thumbnail

Article text

SIMON'S HOTEL CELEBRATES
50th ANNIVERSARY
On Thursday, April 17, 50 years since ' Simon's Hotel
was established, hundreds of people were entertained to'
. fiee hospitality at the hotel, throughout the day and even
ing, in celebration of the event. A fireworks display, com-
municy singing, ana a lavish ouftet supper at which a huge
. five-tier jubilee cake- was cut, were features of the
/'evening programme.
It was a unique occasion in hotel
. history in Boonah, and, the Simons
' consider, a record for the whole
'.State, for a hotel to .have been in
1 continuous occupancy by the same
j'fqmily for fifty years. Its owners
/.ate Misses Rose, Lena and Emelie
-.Simon and their sister, Mrs. W.
/Stogert. They are the daughters of
Jflic late Mr. and Mrs.-Gustav Carl
pinion who opened the hotel in the
yjiear 1902. Shortly after. Mr. Si-
/qion's death in 1905, his son,
.tjc late Mr. Charles Simon,
returned after four years in
, Germany where he was edu
cated, and, at 19 years of age,
_tpok over the managership of the
hotel until hiB death in 1934. Since
the year 1937 Mr. W. Stegert has
curried on as manager whilst the
?Simon sisters have continued on in
'the family home and business.
-They were responsible for the ex
pedient turnout which marked the
iyolden Jubilee of the hotel last
Thursday.
ff; FESTIVE SCENE
With the crowds of people,
istreams of motor cars, and the
Spi'ont of the hotel ablaze with
(coloured lights, the northern . end
(of High Street had a carnival at-
'lr.osphere on Thursday evening.
Tjiside the hotel hundreds of gaily-
coloured balloons and bowls of
golden marigolds decorated the re
ception;., rooms where music and
ipommunity singing were in pro-
jgrcsri.; f '
;(v;'Thc/:i:rowd, .which exceeded all
lexpectiprisy : .overflowed . into . the
aWaltiithe.bperiing of the fireworks
dispiay. ' .This was heralded by n
powerful rocket fired from the old
golf links, whore, for half an hour
the night was lit up with showers
and spirals of brilliant sparks.
Many watched the display from
the hotel balcony and enjoyed . a
fascinating spectacle. - '
Indoors, Mr. H. Krause of Kal-
bur then took over the proceedings;
explaining that all were present as
guests of the Simon family and
asking all to join in the celebra
tions. Many old residents of town
and 'district were present. Songs
and speeches .wore heard.
Those who contributed to tho
musical programme were Mrs. A.
S. Forsyth, Miss L. Emerson, Mr.
B'. Stephan, Mr. and Mrs. N. Grim-
sey, Miss Ada Farley and Mrs. E.
Emerson. Old-time melodies were
favoured, and brought together"
past and present in a very friendly
atmosphere.
"HOSTESSES THANKED
Cr. E. C. Pardon, chairman of
the Boonah Shire Council, conveyed
the thanks of everybody preserit to
the Simon family for their gener
ous hospitality. He congratulated
them on the attainment of their
50th year in the hotel and
the standard which had placed
their name in good repute
not only in this . district,
but throughout Queensland.
Many of those present to-day, he
said, were at the opening of the
hotel on' April 17, 1902. He wished
the Simon family continued pros
perity.
A press clipping from the "Fas-
sifern Advocate'! of April 15th,
1905, was read by Mr. Krause, in
which a fine tribute was paid to the
late Mr. G. C. Simon, the founder
of the hotel.
Speaking on behalf of the public
bodies . of the district, Mr. .H. Rich-
tor expressed appreciation of the
assistance which had always been
forthcoming from the Simon fam
ily. He mentioned particularly the
Golf Cluh and the Boonah Show
Society. Over the 60 years the
hotel had maintained a high qual
ity of service and he wished the
family many years in continuation
of that service.
REMINISCENCES
Mr. Krause coaxed some of the
old-timers to their feet to give
some of their recollections of
Boonah 50 years ago.
Mr. Ernie Wright — n resident of
70 years, said lie remembered tho
late Mr. Simon when he had a
saddler's shop, before lie built the
hotel. Boonah was then' called
"Blumbergville" and there were
plenty of trees around the place.
Young fellows had no motor cars
in those days — it was all horses,
lie said.
Mr. Alex Forsyth had grateful
memories of the hospitality of
Simon's on a cold , night 50 years
ago when returning to Peak Cross
ing from a football match, at Run
ning Creek.
At the time the hotel was. opened;
Mr. Eniil Buhle said he. was work
ing in the plumbing trade for 9/- a
week! He recalled various business
places in the town at the' time, and
the custom of some of the formers
to fire a shot gun to show who was
the first away with a load of. corn.
Mr. Jack Podlich's recollections
went back to the time when Boon
ah was not where it is now— but
down on Dugandan flat. When the
big flood of the 1880's came sever
al houses were washed away and
that was why Boonah was built,
where it now is. There ..was a
clump of bloodwood trees . at one
spot, and from the black's name
for this tree the township was
called "Boonah." ...
SAW DISTRICT PROGRESS '
: Mr. A. G. Muller M.L.A. paid a
tribute to the Simon family for the-
contribution they had made to tho .
prqgress of the . town arid district
ever sinqe! the late (Mr;, Simon had
started business, in;: Boonah. He
the' occasioiir and-'put en a' first-
class' dinner whori/the Prime Min
ister and" several" othet'. important
personages had visited the town
about two years' ago. That was
typical of the service tlicy had al
ways given.
The gathering rose ami sang
"For They Arc Jolly Good Fel
lows" and Mr. Ricliter then re
sponded on behalf of the Simon
family. He thanked all most sin
cerely for their complimentary re
marks and good wishes and said
they were thrilled to Bee so many
people here for the Golden Jubilee
of the hotel. They thanked their '
many patrons of the past 50 years
and were proud that they had been
able to keep tho hotel in their
family so long. They intended to
carry on as long as they could.
To Miss Moya Cook, youngest
great-grand-daughlcr of tho found
er present, was deputed the honour
of cutting the magnificent whilo
jubilee cake artistically decorated
with gold leaves (the work of Mrs.
W. Stegert). The gathering sang
"Auld Lang Syne" after which
supper, which was set out on
tables around the rooms, was
served with tea and coffee. With
the assistance of friends the host
esses ' saw that everybody had a
share of the delightful repast. 1
The hotel did the honours in the
best tradition throughout tho day,
serving free beer to all patrons.
$