According to family records, Hay had moved into the Wide Bay district during the 1850s, and by 1867 he leased the ferry which crossed the Mary River between Maryborough and Tinana.

Situated on the South Head at the mouth of the Noosa River, Bay View was described as containing 10 rooms on five acres of fenced-in land.

Photographic evidence indicates that by 1900, Bayview comprised a two-storeyed timber building with a detached structure at the rear.

[1] Title records indicate that the property was transferred to Charles Miles of Brisbane in 1904, then to Francis Henry Atkinson (Hay's half-brother) in 1910.

[1] The gradual development of Noosa as a tourist resort during the early twentieth century, increased during the 1920s as cafes and accommodation houses were erected along the beachfront (Hastings Street).

The rise in car ownership, and increase in the amount of time people had available for leisure during the 1920s and 1930s meant that Noosa, like other coastal areas in south east Queensland, grew in popularity as a focal point for resort and recreation.

[1] Substantial renovations to Halse Lodge were undertaken in 1988 under the supervision of architects Hurst and Harris, including the additions of a new front entry and kitchen block, demolition and erection of a new ablutions wing, refitting and re-roofing the caretaker's wing, erection of a new activity centre.

As a consequence of the ongoing development of Noosa Heads as a tourist resort, the Hastings Street streetscape and Noosa Heads townscape have undergone many changes, including the demolition of the timber guest houses which formerly lined the street; Laguna House was demolished in the 1960s.

The three wings are connected via open verandahs at ground level, and the building has concrete stumps with timber batten infill.

The northeast end of the accommodation wing has the first floor at ground level, with a timber ramp access, and a verandah which has been enclosed with casement windows.

The dining room has three ante-rooms opening onto the northwest verandah, vertically jointed boarding to the walls, fibrous cement sheeting with cover strips to the ceiling and upper walls, arctic glass to the casement windows and French doors, and a timber batten arch opening to the central ante-room.

The first floor contains a central corridor with rooms opening either side, and a foyer area at the northeast with a timber ramp access to the garden.

[1] A high-set activity centre, with a hipped corrugated iron roof and concrete block stumps, is located to the south of the building.

This structure is similar in materials and form to Halse Lodge, and has weatherboard cladding, casement windows and a verandah to the west.

Substantially rebuilt during the 1920s, and still in use as a guest house, Halse Lodge maintains its association with the site of guesthouse accommodation in Noosa Heads from the 1880s.