Charleville - Hotel Corones - Upstairs
Charleville. Upstairs, it was just as beautiful. Poppa Corones built ensuites in three bedrooms for his high paying guests. This was unheard of even in the big hotels in Europe and this was the early 1920's in Australia! He was a man ahead of his time in many ways. These ensuites had a huge deep bath and basin, the bathroom was beautifully tiled. One ensuite, no 39 had a toilet! Something else unheard of for this time and place. This was put in for the Duke and Dutchess of Gloucester's visit. Poppa Harry's wife did not think it proper for roylty to have to use the same toilet as everyone else and suffer the indignity of walking down the hallway to the loo. Much against his wishes, but who be it to argue with the little missus, Harry begrudgingly had the loo fitted. When it was in, he commented that "he hoped their right royal bums would be comfortable!' Harry did not like unnecessary expense! He actually spent his last days in suite 39. He died in right royal comfort!
The beds and bedroom furniture were made with beautiful Australian silky oak timber with mother of pearl inlay. The silky oak is a light coloured wood, with beautiful gold and honey shaded patterns through it. I used to have a table made out of silky oak, it was beautiful. The 'smoking room' upstairs in the Charleville Hotel Corones, was a grand room, with a lovely tiled mantlepiece, and unusual timber floor. It had highly polished, alternate light and dark floor boards. It looked very effective. Another funny story is where the famous aviator, Amy Johnson, while staying at the hotel, told Poppa that she had always wanted to bathe in champagne.
He attended to her wish, and when she had finished, bottled the entire bath champagne back into the original bottles. But he discovered that there was more liquid than he had put in. He was said to have been extremely angry and had said, to her, "Amy, I thought you were a lady!” He then sold them telling everyone who had bathed in the bubbly, for a hefty price. They sold instantly and once again, made a profit, as he always managed to do, especially with the extra bottles! Hope they didn't drink it! That's funny. IN THIS SECTION Queensland-Inland Blackall Charleville 
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