Margot Kelly
Margot Kelly | |
|---|---|
| Born | Margaret Elizabeth Emerson Template:Birth date Enoggera, Brisbane, Australia |
| Died | September 25, 1983 (aged 89) Kangaroo Point, Brisbane, Australia |
| Occupation(s) | Restaurateur, hotel manager |
| Years active | c. 1930s–1971 |
| Known for | Managing the Hibiscus Room in Surfers Paradise |
Margaret Elizabeth "Margot" Kelly (née Margaret Elizabeth Emerson; 15 March 1894 – 25 September 1983) was a prominent Australian restaurateur and hotel manager, renowned for her more than twenty-year tenure overseeing the Hibiscus Room in Surfers Paradise.
Life
Kelly was born in 1894 in the Brisbane suburb of Enoggera. Initially, she trained as an apprentice dressmaker and launched a boutique specializing in clothing. Her career path shifted towards hospitality following her marriage to Edward Kelly, who managed the Charleville Hotel. The couple resided at the hotel located in Charleville. In February 1931, their possessions were lost in a fire; although she managed to rescue cash and her husband's automobile, they were deprived of access to their accommodation. An official investigation into the incident ensued.
By approximately 1934, the Kellys assumed control of Brisbane's National Hotel, with Margot holding the license. The establishment welcomed a diverse range of patrons, including military personnel and distinguished guests such as Lt Philip Mountbatten, General Douglas Macarthur, and Noël Coward. The venue regularly accommodated up to 500 visitors each evening and was marketed as a "gentleman's residence."
Following Edward Kelly’s passing in 1949, Margot moved to Surfers Paradise where she founded the Hibiscus Room restaurant, named after her preferred flower. Catering to an upscale clientele, she implemented rigorous dress codes and maintained elevated standards for guests and performers alike. Celebrated for her sophistication and occasional musical performances alongside band members, the Hibiscus Room was adorned with chandeliers and featured unique lighting fixtures shaped like pink hibiscus flowers.
Kelly retired in 1971, expressing dissatisfaction with the diminishing formality in patrons’ attire, remarking that even a Prime Minister wore a cravat instead of traditional formal wear during an appearance. She subsequently retired to Capri and died in 1983 at Kangaroo Point in Brisbane.