James Cavill

Jim Cavill, 1951

James Freeman 'Jim' Cavill, (c.1862–1952) a Brisbane hotelier, was one of the pioneers of the Gold Coast, Australia. His parents were Frederick Cavill (1839–1927), a champion swimmer, and Maria Rhodes a cousin of Cecil Rhodes.

From 1903-1913, Jim Cavill was a hairdresser with premises in Edward Street, Brisbane.[1][2] Although an employer himself, he campaigned for hairdessers to have reduced working hours, similar to shop and factory workers.[3][4][5]

In 1917, Jim Cavill was the licensee of the Royal Exchange Hotel in Toowong, Brisbane.[6]

Many years after Johan Meyer's initial entrepreneurial endeavours failed, James Cavill purchased 25 acres (101,000 m²) of land in the Elston subdivision. He built a hotel, which he named the Surfers Paradise Hotel. Postal services were revived and refreshments and accommodation were provided for visitors to the area. James Cavill was heavily involved in the early promotion of the Elston, and lobbied hard for the name change to Surfers Paradise (the same as his hotel). The Elston area was slow to take off, but when it finally did, the local newspaper men labelled it the Gold Coast and in 1958 it became the official name for the town.

Cavill Avenue, and its extension, the Cavill mall, in Surfers Paradise were named in honor of James 'Jim' Cavill; previously it had been named Meyer's Ferry Road or just Ferry Road.

Jim Cavill died at the Surfers Paradise Hotel on 5 March 1952 and was buried in the Southport cemetery.[7][8]

References

  1. ↑ Queensland Electoral Roll 1903
  2. ↑ Queensland Electoral Roll 1913
  3. ↑ "FACTORIES AND SHOPS BILL.". The Brisbane Courier (National Library of Australia). 7 September 1907. p. 9. Retrieved 26 August 2012.
  4. ↑ "HAIRDRESSERS' HOURS.". The Brisbane Courier (National Library of Australia). 30 November 1910. p. 21 Supplement: Courier Home Circle. Retrieved 26 August 2012.
  5. ↑ "HAIRDRESSERS' HALF-HOLIDAY.". The Brisbane Courier (National Library of Australia). 7 October 1913. p. 4. Retrieved 26 August 2012.
  6. ↑ "REDUCTION OF LICENSES.". The Brisbane Courier (National Library of Australia). 29 August 1917. p. 5. Retrieved 26 August 2012.
  7. ↑ Queensland Registrar-General Index of Births, Deaths and Marriages
  8. ↑ Ancestry.com.au


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