Official Opening of Kinnon & Co ‘Welcome Home’

Thank you, Mr Kinnon. And I formally acknowledge Mr Richard Kinnon, Mrs Marisse Kinnon, Jeremy, Lane and Abigail; Mr Mayor Councillor Ed Warren and Mrs Joanne Warren, ladies and gentlemen, girls and boys.

It is Kaye’s and my pleasure to join you today for the official opening of the richly historic ‘Welcome Home’ building.

The story of the building is very much consistent with the spirit of resilience and fortitude which denotes this town.

Originally built in 1896, it was destroyed by fire in 1921 and, rising from the ashes, it was rebuilt the following year.  When I was a child here in the 1950s, it was the Welcome Home Hotel – though I should confirm for the record that I did not grace its bar!

The enterprising Kinnon family purchased the building in 2014, and it has clearly been lovingly restored.

Quality facilities like this really do elevate towns, becoming, as this will, part of the already impressive suite of Longreach drawcards – continuing the Welcome Home contribution over 94 years since its reconstruction.

I thank the Kinnon family – and, notwithstanding that you might think Kaye and I are obliged to say as much as we are currently staying at Kinnon & Co accommodation, the family really are to be commended for their significant financial investment in this and other recent projects.  They are great contributors to Longreach and the region in many ways: their investment is substantial.

I thank them, and their staff, for their wonderful and enlivening hospitality, and all their varied contributions to the development of Longreach and the well-being of its people.

Kaye and I very much look to chatting to more of you over Outback Smoko.

It is now my great pleasure to unveil the plaque, thereby officially opening the newly refurbished ‘Welcome Home’ building.