Royal Hotel Linda

15/10/2023

Calling all Queenstown Residents- GET ON THE SHUTTLE BUS ON THE FIRST UNCONFORMITY NIGHT NEXT THURSDAY
LOCALS LAUNCH - THURSDAY NIGHT - NEORAMA - Projections of local artist Annette van Betleham's landscapes on the shell of the Royal Hotel. It's Free, Family Friendly and ... Spectacular.
If you live in Queenie - Special shuttle price of $10 return for adults, $5 return children under 12. Departing from Driffield Street bus stop from 6pm Thursday and returning regularly to Queenstown. Margie Dare will be able to identify you for your special fare! (Friday and Saturday will be $10 each way adults / $5 each way kids)
Overflow parking for vehicles available on Lyell Highway - you will be directed where to park.
Serving Dinner from 6 pm - Bar Open - Installation launched sunset.

13/10/2023

Our Unconformity Program!
Linda Cafe Kitchen and Bar OPEN serving Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and Bar Snacks
Thursday, Friday, Saturday 8am - 10:30pm
Sunday, Monday 8am - 3pm
NEORAMA
A spectacular installation of Annette van Betlehem's landscapes projected onto the shell of the Royal Hotel Linda by Cary Littleford.
Thursday, Friday, Saturday - Sunset til 10.30pm. Bar Open, Serving Dinner from 6pm
CATCH THE LINDA EXPRESS SHUTTLE BUS
Departing every half hour from Queenstown Station (Driffield Street) from 6pm. Last bus leaving Linda 10.30pm
FREE, FAMILY FRIENDLY, REAL FOOD ALL DAY, ART TRAIL, BAR OPEN,

This venue is a ten-minute drive from Queenstown. There is parking available but it is limited. For the best travel experience we encourage you to use the shuttle bus service.

14/02/2023

A great insight into the hotel. Photo of Jack from 1928 around the time he was boarding at the hotel.

Thanks John Lattin - your dad was a great story teller indeed.

BROOMSTICK JACK

Eustachius Jack Lattin , known for obvious reasons as Jack, was born in Launceston in 1904.

In the late 1920’s, early 1930’s, Jack was a school teacher at Queenstown State School. He boarded at the Royal Hotel, Linda.

The hotel used to prepare lunches for the Italian miners who worked in the nearby mines. The lunches were left in the hotel kitchen overnight for the miners to collect the next morning.

Late one evening, Jack and his friends were hungry and helped themselves to some of the lunches. All hell broke out when the miners found their lunches were gone. Some of them carried knives and they attacked Jack and his friends.
Jack picked up an old yard broom, the bristles of which had been worn down, and, backing up the stairs, proceeded to knock the advancing miners down the stairs or over the railing.

Eventually peace was restored, fresh lunches prepared, and Jack received the nickname “ Broomstick Jack”.

Years later Jack received a letter dated 23 June 1970 from his nephew John Bennett, who was then a solicitor in Launceston. John later became a member of the Tasmanian Parliament and a cabinet minister.

John wrote that on a recent trip to Queenstown he was in the dining room of his motel and heard a chap telling the story of how some bloke named Jack used a broom handle to quieten some miners whose lunches had been distributed among his friends at the Linda hotel.

The story-teller was astounded when John Bennett told him he knew the Jack he was referring to and all about the episode.

31/01/2023

Great footage thanks Damien.

Linda Cafe is operating every Wednesday to Sunday.. My great team and I are enjoying the summer season and the waves of tourists and locals alike.

My brother Matthew has just handed over the keys on a big job in Melbourne and is visiting the west coast end of February. We will be taking the next leap of design and plans.

Zara

16/06/2022

Quick update due to some interest on other pages.

Linda Cafe is having a little winter break and I'm heading to the mainland for family and planning time with the other partners (my brothers). We'll be discussing the timing for the structural report and fine tuning the important conversations about what this buildings purpose will be and how can we showcase our best qualities and align them with this site.

I'll do a more detailed update on my return.

It's been a big year! Zara

04/05/2022

This afternoon on ABC Northern Tasmania. Link to live feed in link

In today's Unofficial History, we're exploring those vanishing towns that once thrived🏠

What's your experience?👻

Whether you've lived, worked or travelled through a ghost town - we want to hear from you!

Listen along here👇📻
https://www.abc.net.au/radio/northtas/live/

25/02/2022

A guest at Linda Cafe today gifted me this beautiful original of the hotel in the 70s. It was one of those "I couldn't believe I saw it in a second hand shop and wanted it to come home" moments.
Pat Hull was a local identity and artist - I, simply, love iit!
Also - Helena Demcuk’s portrait of Pat Hull.