Hotel Grand Chancellor Townsville
A cylindrical building against a night sky
Hotel Grand Chancellor in 2020
Former namesHotel Townsville, Travelodge, Townsville International Hotel, Centra Townsville
General information
TypeHotel
Architectural style70's
LocationTownsville, Australia
Address320 Flinders Street
Construction started1975
Completed1976
OwnerHotel Grand Chancellor, Australia
Height76 metres (249 ft)
Technical details
Floor count23
References
[1]

The Hotel Grand Chancellor Townsville, nicknamed the "Sugar Shaker" by the locals,[2][3][4] is currently the tallest building in Townsville, Australia, standing at 76-metre (249 ft) tall.[1] The building is located in the central section of Flinders Street next to Townsville Bulletin Square.

History

The building was originally constructed in 1976 on the site of the famous old "Central Hotel"[5] which was cleared in 1973.[6] The hotel has gone by a number of names. It was originally called the "Hotel Townsville".[5] It has also been known as the Centra Townsville and Townsville International Hotel,[7] and around 2001 its name was changed from the "Centra" to Holiday Inn.[8] Townsville.

The building has become well known as a local landmark due to the fact that it looks like a giant sugar shaker.[9][10] The odd shape of the building has been said to represent the importance of sugar to the Townsville port and area.[7] The sobriquet was derived from its similarity to the top of sugar dispensers on the tables at a Coles caffetteria that existed in the Townsville CBD from about the mid 1960s to perhaps the late 1980s. The dispensers were glass, bulbous in shape on a flattened base, with a screw on metal cap and cylindrical projecting spout in the centre, of smaller diameter than the cap. The spout was sliced away in section at about 45 degrees, much like the structure that sits atop of the building which is now known as the Sugar Shaker.

The most recent acquisition of the property took place in June 2016[11] with the building becoming the Hotel Grand Chancellor Townsville.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Holiday Inn, Townsville.
  1. 1 2 "Emporis building ID 134927". Emporis. Archived from the original on 30 October 2021.
  2. ↑ Andrew Strutton (20 February 2010). "The sugar-shaker gets a shake-up". Townsville Bulletin. Retrieved 15 March 2010.(" 'It's also something we probably don't need to (alter), because people identify with the 'sugar-shaker' locally. 'It's as much a part of Townsville as it is a part of the Holiday Inn.'")
  3. ↑ Rosemary West (25 June 1993). "Alice Springs on the Coast". The Age. Archived from the original on 15 October 2009. Retrieved 15 March 2010. ("More people might come if the mall were not dominated by a 20-storey motel tower. With its curved service block on top, it has been nicknamed the 'sugar shaker'".)
  4. ↑ "Indigenous art commissioned for hotel makeover" (PDF). Inspire (Indigenous Business Australia). April 2009. Retrieved 15 March 2010. ("The Holiday Inn Townsville is a local landmark, one which the locals refer to as the "sugar shaker".")
  5. 1 2 "Everything Under The Sun for a Warm Queensland Welcome (advertisement)". The Age. 17 March 1977. Retrieved 15 March 2010.
  6. ↑ A Cultural Plan for Townsville Archived 4 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine, Townsville City Council, Community and Cultural Services Department, p.11 (2001), Retrieved 15 March 2010
  7. 1 2 Hofmeister, Burkhard. Australia and its urban centres (1988) (ISBN 978-3443370084) ("At the corner of Flinders and Stokes Streets the tower of the Townsville International Hotel was erected, its nickname being the 'sugar shaker' because of its peculiar shape symbolizing the economic importance of sugar for the area and for the port")
  8. ↑ Kruger, Natalie & Llewellyn, Marc. Frommer's Australia 2002 p.303 (2002) (ISBN 978-0764565335) ("Until last year it was the Centra but despite the name change remains part of the Bass Hotels group")
  9. ↑ Townsville Accommodation Archived 1 February 2010 at the Wayback Machine, Townsville-Queensland.com.au, Retrieved 15 March 2010
  10. ↑ Llewellyn, Marc & Mylne, Lee. Frommer's Australia 2004 p.310 (2003) (ISBN 978-0764538728) ("The 'Sugar Shaker' (you'll know why when you see it) has been Townsville's favorite hotel for years... Right on the Flinders Mall")
  11. ↑ "Sugar shaker sold". 17 June 2016. Retrieved 26 September 2016.

19°15′34.92″S 146°49′01.7″E / 19.2597000°S 146.817139°E / -19.2597000; 146.817139

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