Bellevue Hotel, Brisbane
{{Short description|Demolished hotel in Brisbane, Queensland}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2018}}
{{Use Australian English|date=March 2018}}
The Bellevue Hotel was a hotel on the western corner of George and Alice Streets, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Once Brisbane's premier hotel, it was demolished in 1979 despite considerable public objection. In 2009 as part of the Q150 celebrations, the demolition of the Bellevue Hotel was announced as one of the Q150 Icons of Queensland for its role as a "Defining Moment".{{Cite web|url=http://statements.qld.gov.au/statement/id/64301|title=PREMIER UNVEILS QUEENSLAND'S 150 ICONS|last=Bligh|first=Anna|author-link=Anna Bligh|date=10 June 2009|publisher=Queensland Government|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170524033717/http://statements.qld.gov.au/statement/id/64301|archive-date=24 May 2017|access-date=24 May 2017}}
History
The Bellevue Hotel was built in 1885-6, and served for many years as Brisbane's premier hotel. Being across the road from the Queensland Parliament House, it was used by many politicians. In 1967, the Queensland Government purchased the hotel with a view to demolishing it to create modern buildings for the Queensland Public Service, but there was considerable public objection, and the building stood abandoned for many years while its future was debated. In 1973, the Builders Labourers Federation placed a green ban on the site;{{Cite book|title=Green Bans, Red Union: Environmental Activism and the New South Wales Builders Labourers' Federation|last=Burgmann|first=Verity and Meredith|year=1998|pages=52}} despite this, the Queensland Government removed the verandas in 1974. At this time Joe Bonenti was the manager, and challenged this decision.{{cite trove newspaper|47472486|title=Plan to Save the Old Belle Vue|access-date=26 March 2023}} Without any prior public announcement, the building was successfully demolished overnight on 20 April 1979 by the Deen Brothers, whose motto is "All we leave behind are the memories".{{Cite news|url=http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/the-bellevue-hotel-the-night-brisbane-was-left-crushed/news-story/d19d0a17fde8522e424e1e8cf6e8da7a|title=The Belle Vue Hotel: The night Brisbane was left crushed|last=Kieza|first=Grantlee|date=1 December 2016|work=The Courier-Mail|access-date=9 June 2017}} The public outrage over the demolition eventually led to legislation to protect Queensland's heritage, enacted in 1992.{{cite web|title=Heritage lost - gone but not forgotten|url=http://epa.qld.gov.au/cultural_heritage/heritage_places/heritage_lost__gone_but_not_forgotten/|publisher=Queensland Government|access-date=18 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090706044900/http://epa.qld.gov.au/cultural_heritage/heritage_places/heritage_lost__gone_but_not_forgotten/|archive-date=6 July 2009}}
References
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{{coord|-27.4747|153.0270|type:landmark_region:AU-QLD|display=title}}
External links
{{commonscat-inline|Bellevue Hotel (Brisbane)}}
Category:George Street, Brisbane
Category:Alice Street, Brisbane
Category:Former buildings and structures in Brisbane