Summary

Written by Dorothy and Bruce Gibson-Wilde and published by James Cook University's History Department in 1988, A Pattern of Pubs: Hotels of Townsville 1864-1914 is no. 9 in the series Studies in North Queensland History. This work represents a comprehensive survey of hotels in the first 50 years of white settlement in Townsville.

Early hotels played an important role in the development of regional towns, as they offered accommodation and meals for both locals and travellers alike, as well as served as a place to hold community meetings before purpose-built facilities existed.

The first section of the book contains chapters that cover information on the role and types of hotels, publicans and their place in the community, and how hotels reflected the pattern of growth in Townsville. A chapter on the design of hotels focuses on the phases of architectural styles and building trends represented during this period.

The remainder of the book is laid out in an accessible directory style. Part II is an alphabetical list of hotels. Each entry includes alternate names a hotel may have been known by, its location, and lists the names of licensees and the date range they held the license (where known). This is followed by a summary of historical and anecdotal information. Part III is a register of licensed publicans, arranged alphabetical by surname. This is mainly a list of dates hotel licenses were held but brief biographical details are included in some entries.

Fully referenced and generously illustrated with photographs, maps and other archival material, A Pattern of Pubs also contains a Foreword by Professor Brian Dalton, Foundation Professor of History at JCU. Dalton oversaw a history publishing program at JCU that lasted more than two decades and resulted in a prolific output of new knowledge about North Queensland, telling the story of the region in an innovative way.

Trisha Fielding
2024