unsafe. The vacant school building was transformed into a church and opened on 26 May 1974. By 1984, the former school building was struggling to accommodate the large congregation and funds were raised to build a brand new church building which was opened on 8 December 1984, close to where the original 1904 building once stood. The Mary Immaculate Catholic continues to hold services. The church's centenary was celebrated on 25 November 2004. The existing Uniting Church building in Archer Street was originally built as a billiard saloon which was opened in December 1916 by Thomas Charles Lachlan. The saloon was forced to close when most of the young men who used the venue enlisted in the armed services during World War I. The Methodist Church purchased the building in November 1919. Following the amalgamation of the Methodist Church into the Uniting Church in Australia in 1977, it became the Emu Park Uniting Church. Although the building needed repairs after sustaining damage during Tropical Cyclone Marcia in 2015, weekly church services continue to be held from the building. Hotels The first hotel to be opened in Emu Park was The Brighton. It was built in 1871 and run by Eliza Pearson who was granted the license on 12 December 1871. After being refurbished, it was re-opened by Ferguson McHarg as the Blue Bell Hotel in November 1879. It was demolished and rebuilt in 1888 when it was re-opened by George Birch as the Grand Hotel in 1888. The Grand Hotel was destroyed in a fire on 20 November 1908 which killed district schools inspector Thomas Russell Brown. Rockhampton mayor Harry Medcraf who was also staying at the hotel managed to escape the fire. A palatial house was then built on the site and purchased by the Begg family who converted it into the Pine Beach Hotel which opened on 13 March 1926. The Pine Beach Hotel continues to trade from the site on the corner of Pattison Street and Granville Street. The Emu Park Hotel became the town's second hotel in 1874 when Philip Downer was granted the license on 11 December 1874. After Fred Comley purchased the hotel in 1885, a hall was constructed next to the hotel which was opened on 8 March 1889. Prior to the school building being finished in Fountain Street, Emu Park State School was originally opened in the hall on 3 February 1890