By: Narelle Reid19th Apr 2023 8:58PMThe Victuallers Licence for the Premier Inn, Cooran was transferred from H.P. Mason to my great grandmother Mary Lally (also referred to as Mrs W. or Mrs B. Lally) on or about 4 Dec 1913 (Source: The Gympie Times and Mary River Mining Gazette 4 Dec 1913). At various times during her tenure as publican the hotel was referred to as Lally's Imperial Hotel as well as the Premier Inn or Cooran Inn.

Her husband William Snr. (Bill) and her son William Jnr. (my grandfather) both worked for Noosa Council maintaining the roads while Mary operated the hotel.

It was reported that Mary sold the hotel lease, goodwill and stock in trade to Mrs Watts, Brisbane for 2,500 pounds. Mrs. Watts took over in August 1925. (source: Nambour Chronicle and North Coast Advertiser Fri 24 July 1925).

The woman in this photo wearing the white dress (top floor right hand side) is Margaret Lally the daughter of William Snr. and Mary Lally. Margaret is holding her 3 year old nephew Raymond the son of Patrick and Sarah Lally.

By: Robyn Stephens30th Jan 2023 3:33PMMy great grandfather, Harry Price Mason, was the original licensee of the Hotel Premier, Cooran. I have a copy of another, wonderful photograph, of the opening of the pub in 1911. Harry and his family moved to Brisbane in 1914 and the sign on which the name of the licensee "H. P. Mason" is shown, in between the words "Hotel" and "Premier" does not seem to have been altered. The licensee's name is heavily obscured by the timber on the cart, but I'm persuaded that the letters H and P are visible after the L in Hotel. Harry's son, Archie, who was one of the "Boys of Cooran" (along with his brothers Rodger and Harry), was a Bullocky before he enlisted. Harry's brother, William Mason, had a farm named "The Falls" in the area.