Commercial Hotel Allora
Publicans since 1892
The Commercial Hotel was built for Francis Kates and opened on 1/4/1892.
The first licensee was John Kelly from 1892
John Basford from 1895
F. R. (Frank) Kilmister 17/6/1899 - 14/5/1909 (F. R. Kilmister died)
Clara Kilmister from 15/5/1909
F. E. Golsby from 8/6/1910
T. H. Marshall from 15/7/1911
C. J. Gorry from 12/1915
John Dodd from 1923
Lucy Forman  from   25th August 1938
George Augustus Heldon McClintock from   10th January 1940
Roy Newton Ellaby from   30th May 1940
Darcy Malcolm Lavarack from  18th October 1945
John Albert Berry from  11th June 1946
Earnest Westaway from   28th August 1947
Herman Martin Henry Warneminde from   16th February 1948
Margaret Thelma Coe from   31st May 1948
Raymond Albert Coe from   14th April 1949
Ronald Charles Warren from   7th November 1949
Colin Ray Frizzell from   26th June 1950
Charles Martin from   23 July 1951
Thomas Henry Conley from   15th September 1953
Naason Raymond Dawes from   17th February 1956
William Keith Smith  from   11th July 1957
Ronald Henry Reeves from   18th December 1958
Joseph Corvaia from   6th June 1960
Robert Hanlon Flannery from   9th March 1961 
Kenneth Thomas Casey from   29th July 1966
William Teer Ayres from   30th April 1971
Rodney Wayne Williams from   13th January 1973
Geoffery Alexander Kendall from   24th July 1973
Colin Arthur Swan from   25th January 1974
Frederick Cecil Ferguson from   23rd October 1974
John Alexander King from     5th April 1976
Suzanne Mary Clothier from   28th February 1977
Alton Stewart Walker from    9th November 1978
Leo Vincent Lacy from   16th July 1979
Kenneth Edward Turner from   6th August 1980
Mervyn Edward Parmenter from   20th May 1986
Edwin Russell Bunch from   4th July 2001
Anthony Britton from   10th April 2004
Mrs Annemarie Smith  from   30th June 2005 (Current).

We wish to thank Justin Smith (son of the present licensee) and ex-publican Merve Parmenter,  who each contributed to the above information.

59 Herbert Street Snippet's.
Francis Kates was born in Berlin, Germany, in 1830. He came to Australia in 1857 and took a job as tutor to the children of Frederick Bracker on “Wooroo Station”. Kates came to Allora in 1863 and opened a general store at what is now No.59 Herbert Street. He operated the store until the 1st July 1876 when the business was sold to Thomas Kennedy of Kennedy Bros. Kennedy Bros. built a new store at No. 86 Herbert Street and the Herbert and Drayton Street’s corner store was leased by J. H. C. Meyer from Francis Kates. In 1889, John Kelly who at the time was licensee of the Royal Hotel, took over the store which he called the Commercial Store. John Kelly was an early arrival in the Allora district and was a successful farmer before joining the business world. He was known as the “Potato King” after introducing the “Early Rose” potato on his “Rosemount” farm. He was also responsible for the introduction of the very successful “Allora Spring” wheat to the district.
A provisional licence was granted to John Kelly on the 7th October, 1891, for a new hotel, owned by Francis Kates, to be built on the Drayton and Herbert Street’s corner. The old store was moved to the northern end of the allotment in December 1891 and was operated by John Kelly until he disposed of the stock in November 1894. In August 1896 W. K. Hyslop of Warwick opened a general store there until January 1897 when he moved across the road to No.82.
The new hotel, called the Commercial Hotel, was built in early 1892 by Toowoomba contractors, Grigg & Meninnhett. The plans were drawn up and the construction supervised by local builder, W. G. Gillam, who in 1888 had built St. David’s Church of England. The hotel was opened on the 1st April 1892 and the first licensee was John Kelly who had previously held the licence for the Royal Hotel. The licence of the Commercial was transferred to John Basford in 1896. Frank Kilmister took on the licence in June 1899 and held it until his death in May 1909. Clara Kilmister had the licence after her husband died until she transferred it to F. E. Golsby in June 1910.
T. H. Marshall took over the hotel in July 1911. He was the great grandfather of the Table Top Marshall family and his son “Phonse” worked in the hotel at one time. In December 1915 the licence was transferred to C. J. Gorry who held it until 1923 when it was sold to John Dodd. At the same time that John Dodd took over the licence he purchased the freehold of the hotel from Misses Mona and Florence Kates, granddaughters of Francis Kates. Jacky Dodd held the licence until he sold to Lucy Forman in August 1938.
 The writer has no knowledge of the publicans in the 1930’s and 1940’s apart from the above Licencee  information. The following snippets about the publicans from the 1950’s on, was gained by hearsay not personal experience.
Colin Frizzell took on the licence from June 1950. He was one of the 17 children of R. W. Frizzell of Victoria Hill. He sold to Chas. Martin in July 1951. Tom Conley had the hotel from September 1953 until he sold to Ray and Dorothy Dawes in February 1956. Ray was the son of Alf Dawes who owned Allora Motors until 1949. Keith and Joan Smith were the publicans from July 1957. Keith’s mother had a dress shop in the hotel during their time there. Ron Reeves took over in December 1958 and sold to Joe and Pauline Corvaia in June 1960. Tom Flannery was a relative long timer in the hotel from March 1961 until he sold to Ken and Veronica Casey in July 1966. The Casey’s were in the hotel until they sold to Bill and Dianna Ayres in April 1971. Rod and Glenda Williams came to Allora from the city in January 1973 and introduced regular cabarets but unfortunately Allora did not have the population to sustain them. They sold to Geoff and Mollie Kendall in July in the same year. Geoff was a former airline pilot and was known as “Biggles”. The Kendall’s sold to Col and Shirley Swan in January 1974. The Swan’s had had hotels at Stanthorpe and Stradbroke Island before coming to Allora. Fred and Pat Ferguson took on the licence from October 1974. Fred took on a milk run at Tewantin when they left in April 1976. John and Mary King took over the hotel. John had previously been a Main Roads contractor in central western Queensland. Sue and Ron Clothier came to the hotel in February 1977. Ron had been an A Grade rugby league player in Sydney before playing for Northern Suburbs in Brisbane. Nothing is known of Alton Walker or Leo Lacy. Ken and Ruth Turner came to the hotel in August 1980 and stayed until May 1986. Ken could serve beer with one hand, having only one arm. Merv. and Julie Parmenter took over from the Turners. They were long term publicans who conducted the very successful two day centenary celebrations on the weekend of 28th and 29th March, 1992. Merv. has a keen interest in vintage farm machinery and he and Julie stayed on in the district when they sold to Ted and Jan Bunch in July 2001. Tony and Christy Britton had the hotel from April 2004 until they sold to current publicans Annemarie and Nick Smith in June 2005.