“The Lord Stanley” is due to open again on 9th May.

About twenty-two pubs (as opposed to places of accommodation) serve 82,000 people along the corridor from West End to Coorparoo.  The “Lord Stanley” on the corner of Didsbury and Stanley Street East in East Brisbane is one of them. It is undergoing a $15 million refurbishment.

“It’ll probably take twenty years to recoup our investment, but I’m proud of this hotel”, said Albert Hakfoort as he showed me around the building site this morning. He’s confident they’ll open on 9th May. Put that date in your diary. It’ll be a small miracle if they are fully completed on time.

The finishing trades are doing their best. The place was alive with painters painting the ceilings, the guys installing the glass ceiling between the pub itself and the stand-alone gaming room, and the chippies putting the finishing touches to the kid’s playroom.

The Beer Garden is Albert’s delight. It is airy, out of the rain but with plenty of greenery and booths in which to enjoy a drink with friends. There is a large tree already in the centre.

Upstairs, there is a function room. Given the age of the building, it wasn’t possible to make the function room accessible to wheelchairs. But all of downstairs is fully accessible.

The hotel is designed to be used by families, with the sports section off to the front, at the side with its own DOSA, a cocktail area and a dining area separate from the beer garden.  There is a lot of light. All the areas have windows that open to the street. Even the function room has an outside area to which patrons can retire for some fresh air.

The heritage of the building has been honoured in the refurbishment. They have exposed the old bracing. They chipped away at the decades of coverings to expose the original bricks used in its construction in the 1890s.

It wasn’t always a flash pub. Years ago it had sunken in stature and social opprobrium. But now, it is being revitalised.

I invite the people who live within its direct catchment to have a good look as you drive by. I’ll be very interested to see if it’s ready in time.

See: https://lordstanley.com.au/

 

Kerry McGovern