[1] The coming of the railway not only promoted the development of the town of Childers; it also proved the catalyst for the establishment of a sugar industry in the district in the late 1880s.

By 1895, at least three other mills had been established in the Isis, with another two under construction, and Childers had emerged as the flourishing centre of a substantial sugar-growing district: in the years between 1891 and 1900 the population grew from 91 to 4000.

[1] The new hotel was called the Grand Hotel, and photographs show how it dominated the townscape; towering over the row of single-story timber shops which lined the southern side of the street prior and the single-story timber buildings housing government and banking services on the northern side.

In 1902 a devastating fire swept through the southern side of the street, destroying all of the buildings in this block except the brick Grand Hotel.

[1] Photographs taken in the early 1900s show that the hotel had decorative cast-iron balustrading on the verandahs and a widow's walk at the peak of roof.

By 1908 the verandah had been extended to the eastern elevation which gave a covered way along the western boundary of the site at ground level.

As the sugar industry developed, the population of the district was swelled enormously by seasonal workers who came in to cut the cane harvest by hand.

Special Saturday trains were laid on to take workers into Childers for shopping and to return them late at night.

[1] The building has a wide surrounding two storeyed timber verandah with a convex curved corrugated iron roof.

The brick walls of the building rise above the verandah at the first floor level and are decorated with a number of raised Greek crosses at the corners, long rendered sign panels and a continuous birdsmouth string course.

[1] Built hard up against the west verandah is a two storeyed brick building with a rectangular floor plan and hipped roof, which now serves as accommodation, bottle store and kitchen.

A single storey convex corrugated iron verandah supported on timber posts is situated on the western elevation.

[1] The main entrance to the building is through a pair of heavy timber double doors with a half light over to a central hallway.

To the east of the main hall is a large space that runs from the front to the back of the building, the transverse walls have been removed and there is a bar at the south end.

[1] The place has a special association with the life or work of a particular person, group or organisation of importance in Queensland's history.

Although some of the decorative elements of the hotel have been removed, it has a special association with Bundaberg architect Anton Hettrich as a fine example of his work.