Launceston - Colonial Hotel

The accommodation for our stay in Launceston was the Colonial Hotel, situated on the corner of George Street and Elizabeth Street.

Some of the buildings in this hotel complex were originally part of the Launceston Church Grammar School which operated on the site from 1847 until 1924 when the school was relocated to Mowbray Heights. The modified buildings became a hotel in 1972 and the main accommodation block plus two smaller residential units were built in a complementary style during the 1970s.

Front view of original building in hotel complex

View inside main building

QC Brasserie

The QC Brasserie of Quill and Cane is used as the breakfast room as well as a room for special functions. The dinner after the two Seniors matches on the Tuesday night were held in this impressive room. The main courses at the dinner were slow cooked lamb shoulder stuffed chicken breast. Sticky date pudding was the popular sweet selection though vanilla bean panna cotta was also on offer.

The former gymnasium is now the Three Steps Restaurant

The Three Steps Restaurant is open to the public as well as hotel residents during the evening. This is an impressive old building with a mezzanine floor for dining as well as dining tables downstairs. On the walls are photos of sports teams from the school in the early 1900s. We had dinner at the restaurant on the Wednesday night. I tried the lamb while Robin had the fish. Plum pudding was the dessert special which we all enjoyed.

Elizabeth Manor

Our room was in Elizabeth Manor, one of the buildings built in the 1970s.

Features from the original school have been incorporated in the renovated buildings such as names on this door and initials scratched into the window frame in the lounge.

By the desk in the lounge was this piece of furniture which attracted quite a bit of attention. Upholstered furniture like this became popular towards the middle of the nineteenth century though, of course, it could have been made anytime since then. It may have been used as a window seat though I have not yet found pictures of any furniture shaped quite like this. There is a wooden rest that may have been used to hold a book or writing material. It was definitely a conversation piece. It is now used as a seat for the public computer.

Remains of old Mile Stones

A selection of old Mile Stones can be found in the garden.

The hotel was within walking distance of the cricket ground and Launceston in general. It was a good place to stay.

Further posts on this adventure:
Launceston - Victoria v Tasmania 2018
Exploring Launceston
Launceston - Cataract Gorge
Launceston - Cataract Gorge wildlife