The Terminus Hotel, at 71 Melbourne Street, on the corner of Hope Street near the South Brisbane Railway station, has been renovated by the Ghanem Brothers. Previously “The Fox”, the pub re-opened its doors on Friday, 19th June 2026.

Remember “The Fox”? Lots of parties, drinks at lunchtime, and it was a popular union hangout. Around the corner in Peel Street is the Queensland Council of Unions at the TLC Building. Also in that building is the ALP State Headquarters and other unions. Across the road is home to the Services Union, the Plumbers Union, and in Merivale Street, the Electrical Trades Union (ETU) and the Australian Federated Union of Locomotive Employees. You now have a new drinking hole.

Also close by is the Billie Brown Theatre, the Refugee and Immigration Legal Service, Common Ground, the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) and Fish Lane.

The Terminus may well provide the missing link in South Brisbane’s entertainment precinct. Hopefully, it’ll be open when the theatres come out, so audiences can retire to “The Terminus” for a coffee or drink before catching the bus and train home.

The historical building has been renovated, with four floors available. Downstairs is a bar, kitchen and bottle shop. On the first floor is the Hayes Room, a private dining room and the Addison Room. The DOSA is on a balcony off the Addison Room. It has good views of the surrounding high-rise apartments. On the second floor is another private dining room, with Gucci wallpaper, and the Vixen Room for a sit-down and a chat. It has a bit of a dance floor and will be open until 3 am. The Fox Rooftop has views over the city and QPAC with pleasant places to sit.  There are bars on all four floors. So try them out.

“The Terminus” opened its doors in 1884, coinciding with the opening of the South Brisbane Railway Station. Built on the corner of Hope and Melbourne Streets, the hotel was rebuilt in 1907, then demolished in 1924, and the current building was erected and opened in 1927. It is heritage-listed.

Now it’s “The Terminus” again, thanks to the investment by the Ghanem Group. They have interests in lots of venues throughout Australia. See: https://www.ghanemgroup.com.au/venues

The Lord Mayor and Deputy Lord Mayor were at the launch, indicating the City supports the new venture. The owners certainly have their eyes on the Olympics, with the opportunity to capture the tourists wandering off to the train and bus from Southbank.

Let’s see how its culture evolves. At the moment, it’s a clean slate.

 

Kerry McGovern