Caledonian Hotel in City (Ipswich)

Caledonian Hotel

"The first hotel on this site was The Red Cow, built in the 1840s. The owners were always suspected of operating an illegal distillery to produce rum but they could never be caught. When the old hotel was finally demolished around 1896 to build the current one, the 'still' was found - cunningly built into the brickwork of the chimney. The current hotel was renovated in 1938 in art deco style."

(Courtesy of the Rubbety Dubs to Pubs Trail Booklet - Ipswich City Council")
www.ipswich.qld.gov.au/documents/planning/city_pubs_.pdf

Was destroyed by fire again in the early 2000's and rebuilt to service the inner city patron.

There is a story that Holding cells are built into the basement , when drunks got rowdy they were put into the cells to await visiting police from Brisbane ?