Collection: The Broadway Hotel: Woolloongabba

The Broadway Hotel, Woolloongabba is one of Brisbane’s most notable heritage‑listed buildings, with a history dating back to the late 19th century during a period of rapid growth and prosperity in Queensland. Constructed between 1889 and 1890 for publican Michael McKenna and designed by the architectural firm John Hall & Son, the three‑storey hotel was built as an impressive and elaborate establishment to cater for travellers and locals alike. Its prominent location along Logan Road reflected the importance of Woolloongabba as a key transport and commercial hub, where roads from regional districts converged and supported increasing movement of people and goods.  Like many hotels of its era, it served as a vital social and accommodation centre, embodying the optimism and expansion of Brisbane in the 1880s. The hotel continued operating for more than a century before closing after a fire in 2010, with further damage from subsequent fires leaving it vacant, yet its heritage listing—granted in 1992—ensures its historical significance remains recognised as an important example of Brisbane’s late‑Victorian architecture and urban development.