He raised a £14,000 mortgage on the property, and called for competitive designs to replace the timber building with a substantial brick structure.

[1] The original design was more modest in size than the final structure, extending along the Strand only as far as the eastern tower, and around the corner of Wickham Street for eight bays.

For the next twenty years, Queen's Hotel consisted of a brick wing along the Strand, and a corner timber section which continued back along Wickham Street.

He was active also in civic affairs, and, as Mayor of Townsville in 1912, encouraged council improvements along the Strand and foreshore in front of the Queen's Hotel.

A detached block at the rear, comprising kitchen and scullery on the ground floor and bathrooms and toilets on the first, was erected at the same time.

The building was sold to Townsville firm Samuel Allen & Sons Ltd in 1973, and in 1977 was acquired by Telecasters North Queensland Ltd, who restored the exterior and converted the interior into television and radio studios and offices.

[1] In August 2015, a $250M redevelopment of the area to be called the King Street Precinct was proposed, which would include residential, cultural and commercial elements, but with no specific plan for the re-use of the former Queen's Hotel.

[5] Queen's Hotel, located on the southern side of The Strand and returning into Wickham Street, is a two-storeyed structure containing television studios and offices built of English Bond brickwork with rendered detailing.

[1] The Strand elevation shows Art Nouveau and Indian/Colonial influences in its design, including turrets crowned by cupolas framing low tower forms along the northern frontage, decorative render panels, wide eaves and arcaded loggias to the ground floor with verandahs above.

Metal stanchions have been added to the face of the brickwork for the purpose of tying the roof down, and sections of floor have been replaced with concrete.

[1] The rear of the building has been substantially altered, with only one of the original masonry two-storeyed toilet blocks remaining, and a large television studio and communication equipment have been added.

The entrance hall contains a carved cedar staircase with a twin return, two figurine lamps on the bottom balusters and leadlight sash windows at the landing.

There are sections of marble tiled floor in the foyer and former Palm Lounge, now the Telecine room, but they do not match early photographs of these areas.

Sufficient of the fabric remains to understand the building as a large, ostentatious, two-storeyed masonry hotel, and to illustrate the work of Queensland architects Eaton, Bates and Polin.

Sufficient of the fabric remains to understand the building as a large, ostentatious, two-storeyed masonry hotel, and to illustrate the work of Queensland architects Eaton, Bates and Polin.