HOTEL WINDSOR - Key Persons
The Honourable James Munro acquired the property in 1886. In association with the Honourable James Balfour MLC, Munro embarked on a massive expansion project that doubled the size of the hotel and saw the addition of the Grand Ballroom, the Grand Staircase, and twin cupola-capped towers. Visitors to the towers enjoyed views over Williamstown, the You Yangs, Mount Macedon, and the Dandenong Ranges. The original 200 rooms grew to 360, and The Grand Hotel boasted the latest amenities and five star conveniences: hot and cold water, electric lights, electric bells, and elevators.
At this time, the Temperance Party's teetotal ideals had achieved a considerable following. Munro is famous for his flamboyant gesture of setting alight the hotel liquor license with the statement: "Well, gentlemen, this is what I think of the license". And so the property became known as The Grand Coffee Palace.