Mona Minahan

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Mona Minahan, also known as Mona Haines
Born
Monica Augustine Minahan

1898
Died1996
Known forPioneering hotelier in the Northern Territory; built the Riverside Hotel, now the Todd Tavern

Monica Augustine “Mona” Minahan, also known as Mona Haines, was an Australian entrepreneur. She lived in Alice Springs as a pioneer of the Northern Territory's hotel industry, building the Riverside Hotel, the town's largest hotel to that point. She became a leading figure in the town's business, social and sporting life, and was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 1980.[1]

Career[edit]

Minahan arrived in Alice Springs in 1932 to work as a barmaid at the Sturt Arms Hotel. She later became a businesswoman in the hotel industry. By 1954, she rose to prominence, becoming "one of Central Australia’s best-known identities."[2]

In 1954 she finished the building of the largest hotel in Alice Springs, designed by Northern Territory architect and personality Beni Burnett.

Later life[edit]

Minahan was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1980. The Minahan Medal, an annual award for the best and fairest player in the Central Australian Football League (CAFL), was donated by Minahan in 1947.[3]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "2 New Hotels For Alice LONG LEGAL FIGHT ENDS". Northern Standard. Vol. 6, no. 276. Northern Territory, Australia. 21 September 1951. p. 1. Retrieved 15 April 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  2. ^ "MORE ACCOMMODATION FOR ALICE". Centralian Advocate. Vol. VIII, no. 373. Northern Territory, Australia. 30 July 1954. p. 1. Retrieved 15 April 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. ^ "CAFL 2016 CAAMA RADIO MINAHAN MEDAL AWARDS NIGHT". CAAMA. 31 August 2016. Retrieved 15 April 2018.