HSA May 2021

Peak Honour for Guy and Tony Matthews
Guy Matthews
Tony Matthews
South Australian hotelier Guy Matthews, and his late
brother Tony, from the Matthews Hotel Group have
been recognised with Life Membership, which is the
AHA|SA’s highest honour.
The Matthews family has had a multi-generational
impact on the State’s hotel Industry.
Seymour and Doris Matthews established the
beginnings of the family enterprise during World War
Two when they moved to Whyalla to take over the lease
of the Bayview Hotel, owned at the time by the South
Australian Brewing Company.
Seymour and Doris produced two sons, Tony and Guy
who subsequently added Brett, Lisa, Shaun, Scott, Ward
and William to the expanding family register. All three
adult generations are involved in the family enterprise
with some expanding out in their own right.
Tony and Guy’s official involvement in the hotel industry
commenced in the mid-1950s. It was at this stage Tony
joined the business after serving his time in the Royal
Navy National Service. Guy followed in 1956.
Seymour was taking on some big ventures at this time,
including the iconic Largs Pier Hotel where with the SA
brewery, they built a Beer Garden Lounge seating 250
undercover and 200 outdoor, and by accident during
the course of renovations happened to invent the first
drive through liquor store, reputed to be the world’s first.
In their time they saw the Largs Pier become known as
the Rock Capital of Australia being the original home of
Jimmy Barnes, Cold Chisel and AC/DC.
Some of their innovations included their battle to
introduce counter meals into front bars in the early
1960s. Tony was called to task over this by the AHA and
was fined 10 pounds for his trouble. Not being swayed
by this, Tony then instructed staff to set up the meal
table just inside the dining room door for bar customers
to collect their own meals to take back to the bar. As
such they sidestepped the technicality of ‘serving’ the
meal in the bar! Seymour, Tony and Guy implemented
the first smorgasbord in South Australia at the near city
Buckingham Arms Hotel.
Tony was a significant contributor to the wellbeing of
the industry through his long service to the Board of Sip
and Save, SA’s industry liquor marketing group and Guy
has served for many years on the AHA|SA State Council
representing the South East.
Seymour passed away in 1991 and Doris in March
2009 at the age of 97. Doris was inducted into the
AHA|SA Women in Hotels Hall of Fame. Tony passed
away in 2019. If you would like to read a more detailed
account about Guy’s and Tony’s history in the hotel
industry, these previous Hotel SA stories are available:
https://www.ahasa.com.au/__files/f/6093/hotel
https://www.ahasa.com.au/__files/f/44490/HSA_
June-July_2019.pdf
10 | Hotel SA | W W W . A H A S A . A S N . A U Back to Contents