Victory and Endurance: Hinchinbrook Hotel
The Hotel Hinchinbrook was built as a symbol of victory for the Mullins family following the First World War, and later became a symbol of endurance for the Mor family during the Second World War.
Irish-born Edmond Mullins, from Barnajore, Limerick, arrived in North Queensland aboard the steamer Waipara on 22 July 1909. He worked in a variety of occupations, including mining, tramway construction and small-scale cane farming, before becoming a publican at the Royal and later the Day Dawn Hotel in Ingham.
In 1914, war broke out in Europe, and at the age of 30, Mullins enlisted to serve his country.
From 1916, he spent nearly two years in Étaples, France, before being wounded by shrapnel to the leg and discharged.
He returned to Queensland in 1918 and resumed his life in Ingham. Three years later, he married Teresa Lynch, and by 1923 they had welcomed the first of their three daughters.
In 1925, Mullins purchased a large allotment of land on Lannercost Street at the western end of town. He engaged Townsville builders J. G. Rooney and Sons to construct a handsome two-storey hotel, which was completed in 1926 and opened as the Hotel Hinchinbrook. Teresa Mullins became the first licensed victualler.
Following Edmond’s untimely death in 1933 at the age of 44, his funeral was conducted with full honours as a returned serviceman, accompanied by the solemn playing of the Last Post. Teresa later left the hotel and continued her work as a publican at the Royal Hotel for many years.
In 1927, Vincenzo Mor migrated from Calvisano, Brescia in northern Italy, and spent the next decade working across the Ingham district. In 1938, he married Eda Ferrando, and the following year they took out a five-year sublease of the Hotel Hinchinbrook, with Eda becoming the licensed victualler.
In March 1942, during the Second World War, Vincenzo was detained as an “enemy alien” despite being a naturalised British subject. He was interned first at Greythorn in Queensland and later at Loveday in South Australia, not returning until January 1944.
During this time, Eda remained in Ingham and managed the hotel under challenging circumstances. She continued to serve the community, including local workers and both Australian and American servicemen, throughout the war years.
After Vincenzo’s return, the Mor family eventually left the hotel, with the licence transferring to another local publican.
Today, the Hotel Hinchinbrook stands as both a symbol of triumph and resilience — reflecting the lives of those who built it and the challenges endured by the community throughout times of war.
Images provided by the Ingham Family History Association and HSC Local History Photographic Collection.