01_QHA_July_Online
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INSIGHTS<br />
The Eatons Hill is a four-storey, 7000sqm, venue<br />
located about half an hour north of Brisbane’s CBD.<br />
Rob’s family business that he runs with his father Paul<br />
and brother David, took a former driving range and<br />
clubhouse site and converted it into one of the region’s<br />
premier entertainment venues, known for hosting<br />
bands, boxing matches, festivals and even a few<br />
rodeos.<br />
It’s one of a number of venues owned and managed<br />
by the Comiskey Group including the Beachmere<br />
Hotel, the Sandstone Point Hotel and Big 4 caravan<br />
park and the Samford Hotel. They also have new<br />
projects coming at Dakabin (near Brisbane), Doonan<br />
(on the Sunshine Coast) and a 200 hectare resort site<br />
at Coochin Creek near Caloundra on the Sunshine<br />
Coast.<br />
For the Comiskey family, who had previously run a<br />
number of separate businesses including childcare,<br />
property and shopping centre development, the move<br />
into the hotel space sparked a sense of creativity and<br />
collaboration.<br />
IT’S A SIMILAR STORY AT SANDSTONE<br />
POINT WHERE ROB AND HIS DAD,<br />
PAUL, WERE FLYING OVER THE AREA IN<br />
A HELICOPTER AND HIS DAD POINTED<br />
OUT THE BLOCK, ADJACENT TO THE<br />
PUMICESTONE PASSAGE NEAR BRIBIE<br />
ISLAND AND TOLD ROB IT WOULD HAVE<br />
TO BE ONE OF THE BEST BLOCKS IN<br />
QUEENSLAND.<br />
Speaking about Eatons Hill Rob explained the process.<br />
“It was an ex-golf club range of all things. The golf<br />
driving range ended up shutting down,” Rob said.<br />
“One of my solicitors was one of their solicitors. He<br />
told me about this great block of land. We bought it<br />
not knowing exactly what we wanted to do. As we<br />
went through the approvals it started getting bigger<br />
and bigger.<br />
“It’s a beast – it has an 1100sqm liquor barn, eight<br />
different function spaces.”<br />
Building something so big in the suburbs was always<br />
going to have its challenges.<br />
Rob said they were initially worried about transport<br />
and people being able to get to and from the venue. In<br />
the end, its size and the number of people it attracted<br />
turned it into a hub for taxis with cab drivers lining up<br />
to take patrons home each night.<br />
<strong>QHA</strong> REVIEW | 31
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