She was able to get the cash and to drive out her husband's Fiat from its garage but she could not return to their room because of the fire.

It welcomed service people with a special meal[4] and Lt Philip Mountbatten, General Douglas Macarthur[1] and Noël Coward were among the 500 there each night in what she hoped was a "gentleman's residence".

[5] Edward Kelly died in February 1949[3] and she moved to Surfer's Paradise where she had a restaurant built which she named after her favourite flower.

The requirement for formal dress had been lowered to "smart informal" and Kelly reported that she was very sad when the Prime Minister visited the restaurant wearing a cravat.

[5] Kelly retired to the island of Capri and she died in 1983 in the Brisbane suburb of Kangaroo Point.