Possession of the Central Hotel

We took possession of the Central Hotel last Friday, which sees it finally reunited with the Embassy Theatre under single ownership after roughly 60 years apart.  We are hoping to restore this important part of Maryborough's history, which started life in 1863 as the Carpenter's Arms, back to its former glory days when it was one of Maryborough's most popular hotels.  Work is already well underway with demolition of more recent additions, including the main bar which we think dated to the 1980s or 90s.  This work has revealed that the early wall tiles are still mostly intact on the walls of the public bar (hidden for decades under layers of ply and tin), as well as much of the terrazzo flooring, including the main entrance section to the public bar which still has 'Dalton's Central' and decorative sunburst motif still intact, albeit obscured under carpet glue. We have also been able to work out the layout of the previous bar which we think dates to the 30s or early 40s. Much of the pressed metal ceilings remain intact but will require considerable work to restore them and replace lost and corroded panels.  Lots of work ahead of us...