Visionary made success of hotels
Journalist, newspaper proprietor and war veteran
TOM Foxlee was a man of vision who started his working life as a cadet journalist and finished up as a newspaper proprietor, but it was not just in the journalistic world that he became distinguished.
Tom was driving past a run-down, old hotel on the outskirts of Toowoomba with a friend who just happened to be a real estate agent.
The hotel was owned by the O’Donnell sisters who ran the hotel as they liked, only serving people they trusted.
The hotel was so old and run-down, it even had the horse rail still in position out the front.
“The person who buys that hotel will make a fortune,” Tom suggested.
“How much money do you have,” the agent replied.
“About 10 pence,” was the lamented response from the man who had invested everything he had in a gamble on a new afternoon newspaper in the city.
“That’s all you need,” was the surprise retort from the agent.
With that 10 pence piece an option to purchase was formulated for a one month period.
It was barely two weeks later Tom was offered 15,000 pounds for the option by another real estate agent.
He didn’t sell, instead forming a syndicate of his business friends to purchase the hotel.
It was subsequently demolished and a new hotel motel constructed.
Opening night of the new hotel saw the then mayor Jack McCafferty and Tom driving out for the opening night.
“Must be an accident up ahead,” Jack commented as the traffic was banked up for miles along the road leading up to the new hotel.
But it was no accident that the traffic was all flowing into the ample carpark of the new Southern Hotel
Motel on Ruthven St.
The hotel was a resounding success, with Tom proving himself a man of vision in his first business venture outside newspapers.
Tom was born in Charters Towers and educated at Charters Towers High.
He started life as a cadet journalist on the local Northern Miner newspaper in 1938.
Riding his silver BSA motorcycle through the dusty streets of the city at all hours he became a regular sight for all and sundry.
He furthered his career at the Courier Mail, starting as a journalist in Brisbane in 1938, but not before becoming north Queensland junior champion in tennis, and being selected the next year for the Davis Cup squad.
Unfortunately the war intervened, which saw Tom serving in the AIF in Papua New Guinea for the duration of the war.
After the war he continued his journalistic ambitions at the Courier Mail, but left in 1948 to become proprietor of the Western Star newspaper in Roma.
In 1955, he moved his family to Toowoomba where he became foundation managing director of Western Publishers Pty Ltd which produced the Star newspaper.
It was the first afternoon newspaper in 22 years and was a resounding success.
The Downs Star was eventually sold and merged with the Toowoomba Chronicle newspaper, with Tom managing the production of that newspaper.
It was at during this era Tom purchased the Southern Hotel, diversifying finally into motels with the purchase of the Gateway Motel on Margaret St.
He finally retired to the Gold Coast, eventually becoming bored and venturing into a jewellery business which, with the help of Maureen, his wife of some 70 years, became another runaway success.
Maureen passed away in 2014 after being told she wouldn’t make old age due to a medical condition.
She survived all her doctors’ expectations and died at 95.
Tom is survived by his two children, Tom and Patricia.
He was a member of Toowoomba Golf Club Middle Ridge, Southport Golf Club and the Toowoomba RSL.