The Grand Central Hotel opens
In 1909 William Gibson purchased the York Hotel on the southeast corner of Rundle Street and Pulteney Street. It was demolished to make way for an up-market hotel. The Grand Central Hotel opened with much fanfare on 20 June 1911. The hotel contained 150 rooms plus lounges, two saloons, a billiard room, and writing and smoking rooms. The dining room could accommodate up to 600 people. Other publicised features included an ‘immense’ central light court, electric lifts and artificial heating. The flat roof was intended to house a tennis court and tea garden. Guests included the Prince of Wales, Mark Twain and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. However, the hotel did not flourish. In 1926 it was bought by Foy & Gibson and incorporated into the department store. When the store moved further west along Rundle Street in the 1950s the former hotel was sold to the Electricity Trust of South Australia and was then used by government departments. It was demolished in 1975–76 and replaced by a multi-storey car park.
