The Chronicle of Saturday, July 20th, 1907 carried the following advertisement:  {20-7-1907, p.3} 

Image courtesy Sunshine Coast Libraries

The 'Royal Hall' was built by Mr William H. Winterford in 1903 when he built the Royal Hotel, which it adjoined. When he was the owner, it had the name of "Winterford's Hall". When Mr Winterford took over the lease of the Shamrock Hotel in Edward Street, Brisbane, Nambour's Royal Hotel was taken over by Mr Arthur Edwin Godwin in an auction held on 27th April, 1907. The Hotel's hall was improved and temporarily renamed the 'Royal Hotel Hall', but within weeks, advertisements in the local newspaper named it as the 'Royal Hall' (see above). The following Saturday's Chronicle contained a detailed report on the successful function. In part, it said:

"To those whose efforts had been expended in training the children and arranging all the details, Monday night's bumper house must have been a source of great gratification. The children too seemed to share the same feeling, for it was evident that they were putting forth their best work despite the ordeal of facing a large audience that was coughing most of the time. The night, though rather cold, was otherwise an ideal one, and the few days 'drought' experienced left the roads dry underfoot. All the available seating accommodation in the hall was filled, and a number of people had perforce to stand throughout. A goodly proportion of the audience came from some miles out of town, thanks to the brilliant moonlight guaranteeing them a plain road home.

"The Town Band assisted the affair by playing in the street outside the hall for about half-an-hour before the concert commenced, rendering several numbers in a creditable manner. To blow a brass instrument in the cold, however, is not an easy matter, and this difficulty somewhat handicapped the players. The same cause also appeared to affect the voices of the singers through the evening, by producing an occasional huskiness, but not to an extent to seriously interfere with the general effect."

The report then offered compliments to the Head Teacher Mr E. H. V. Dunbar, the Assistant Teacher Mr E. L. Kingsbury, Mrs Dunbar and Miss Dunbar for their work in organising the concert. The program listed in detail all the items which were presented, including the song 'Nambour Town' which was sung by the senior girls. This song was very well received and loudly encored, so the girls sang it again. The newspaper thought the song so worthy that they published the words in full, but they did not mention who wrote it.  {27-7-1907, p.2}

NAMBOUR  TOWN

A quarter of a century after the concert, the Nambour Chronicle carried a report about a meeting of aged pioneers, who reminisced about the early days of Nambour. In the report, it was stated that "Mrs John Perren read a poem, a eulogy of Nambour, by an earlier schoolmaster." Perhaps the poem and song were the same, and were composed either by Mr Dunbar or Mr Kingsbury.  {8-12-1933, p.1}

By 24th August, 1907, Mr Godwin had thought of a better name for the 'Royal Hall', and an advertisement in the Nambour Chronicle of that date advised readers that a Euchre Party organised by the Nambour Lawn Tennis Club would be held in the "Alhambra Hall" {24-08-1907, p.2}.