[1] In the 1880s Woolloongabba developed quickly, together with the adjoining suburbs of East Brisbane, Buranda and Stones Corner, following the expansion of the railway and tramway systems and the growth of associated commerce and light industry.

In 1881 a dry dock was established at South Brisbane and the nearby coal wharves were linked to a railway goods yard at Woolloongabba in 1884.

The area was booming, as was the Queensland economy generally, and Robert Heaslop chose this year to build a substantial hotel on his land, registering a mortgage on the title for £3,500 in November 1889.

After working as a clerk and foreman for the contractor and later architect, Andrew Murphie and for plumber Hiram Wakefield, he set up an architectural office in October 1885.

To fulfil the conditions of the 1885 Licensing Acct, the licensee had to live on the premises, so the licence was quickly transferred to Henry Marsden, previously publican of the Bowen Hotel in South Brisbane.

Marsden remained as licensee until 1892 when J C Hauer briefly held the licence before it was transferred to Samuel Heaslop, possibly a relative of the owner.

Mrs Kearney subsequently sold the hotel to the Mayes family who operated the business until Peter Cavill purchased the licence in 1987.

In the process of the redevelopment, several detached structures were removed from the rear of the property including stables and an air raid shelter.

[2] In April 2015 IPG sold the hotel to the Power Group of Companies, a private family business based in Brisbane.

It is confident and flamboyant in style with an ornate parapet concealing a hipped roof, which is clad in corrugated iron and pierced by tall brick chimneys.

[1] The wing to the rear of the main section along Qualtrough Street is much simpler in form and has sash windows with moulded decoration.

The ground floor has narrow casement windows and a recessed entrance to Ipswich Road approached through a twin arches with a central pillar and matching pilasters to each side.

[1] The kitchen, beer garden and open air eating area to the rear of the site are modern, as is a brick liquor barn, but these are not within the listing boundary.

The Norman Hotel is important in providing evidence of the development of Queensland in the 1880s, a boom period when many fine commercial buildings were constructed, particularly in Brisbane.