{{Short description|Australian businessman}} {{Use Australian English|date=June 2020}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}} thumb|Jim Cavill, 1951 '''James Freeman Cavill''' (c.1862 –1952 in Surfers Paradise, Queensland) a Brisbane hotelier, was one of the pioneers of the Gold Coast, Australia.
== Early life == Information about his early life is sketchy as he told a number of conflicting stories, which cannot be validated from official records. He often claimed to be born in Carlton, Melbourne but also claimed to be born in Sydney as the son of Frederick Cavill (1839–1927), a champion swimmer, and Maria Rhodes a cousin of Cecil Rhodes.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/cavill-james-freeman-jim-9713|title=Cavill, James Freeman (Jim) (1867–1952)|last=Fischer|first=Pat|chapter=James Freeman (Jim) Cavill (1867–1952) |publisher=National Centre of Biography, Australian National University|location=Canberra|access-date=9 June 2016}}</ref>
== Business life == From 1903 to 1913, Jim Cavill was a hairdresser with premises in Edward Street, Brisbane.<ref>Queensland Electoral Roll 1903</ref><ref>Queensland Electoral Roll 1913</ref> Although an employer himself, he campaigned for hairdressers to have reduced working hours, similar to shop and factory workers.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article19407099 |title=Factories and Shops Bill |newspaper=The Brisbane Courier |date=7 September 1907 |access-date=26 August 2012 |page=9 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article19674711 |title=Hairdressers' Hours |newspaper=The Brisbane Courier |date=30 November 1910 |access-date=26 August 2012 |page=21 Supplement: Courier Home Circle |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article19907499 |title=Hairdressers' Half-Holiday |newspaper=The Brisbane Courier |date=7 October 1913 |access-date=26 August 2012 |page=4 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
In 1917, Jim Cavill was the licensee of the Royal Exchange Hotel in Toowong, Brisbane.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article20164268 |title=Reduction of Licenses |newspaper=The Brisbane Courier |date=29 August 1917 |access-date=26 August 2012 |page=5 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
Many years after Johan Meyer's initial entrepreneurial endeavours failed, James Cavill purchased 25 acres (101,000 m<sup>2</sup>) of land in the Elston subdivision. He built a sixteen-room timber hotel,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article42734877 |title=Surfers' Paradise Founder |volume=15 |newspaper=The Cairns Post |issue=598 |location=Queensland|date=6 March 1952 |access-date=26 May 2016 |page=5 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> which he named the Surfers Paradise Hotel.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article219060186 |title=Real Estate |newspaper=Daily Mail |issue=7091 |location=Brisbane|date=18 November 1924 |access-date=11 May 2016 |page=16 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
With the construction of the new 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 Elston, and lobbied hard for the name, which was in common use, to be changed to Surfers Paradise (the same as his hotel). The area was officially renamed Surfers Paradise in October 1933.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article180594374 |title=Elston Renamed |newspaper=The Telegraph |location=Queensland|date=12 October 1933 |access-date=25 May 2016 |page=18 (City Final Last Minute News) |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
On the morning of 6 July 1936, the Surfers Paradise Hotel was destroyed by fire<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article126111264 |title=Local and General |newspaper=The Richmond River Herald and Northern Districts Advertiser |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=10 July 1936 |access-date=26 May 2016 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article182317906 |title=Surfers Paradise Hotel Destroyed by Fire |newspaper=The Telegraph |location=Queensland|date=6 July 1936 |access-date=26 May 2016 |page=10 (Second Edition) |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> and a new palatial brick hotel, which officially opened on Friday 24 September 1937, was erected in its place.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article133668062 |title=Surfers' Paradise Hotel |newspaper=South Coast Bulletin |volume=9 |issue=490 |location=Queensland|date=24 September 1937 |access-date=26 May 2016 |page=10 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
The Elston area was slow to take off, but when it finally did, it was labelled the ''Gold Coast'' in newspaper reports<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article226272107 |title=Gold Coast Slur |newspaper=South Coast Bulletin |issue=1610 |location=Queensland|date=30 December 1953 |access-date=25 May 2016 |page=26 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article217213325 |title=Name to oust "Gold Coast" |newspaper=Brisbane Telegraph |date=7 May 1954 |access-date=25 May 2016 |page=2 (City Final) |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article118441445 |title=Column 10 |newspaper=The Queensland Times |issue=25,136 |date=6 October 1954 |access-date=25 May 2016 |page=2 (Daily) |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> 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 honour of James 'Jim' Cavill; previously it had been named Meyer's Ferry Road or just Ferry Road.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article188319888 |title=Town Council Matters |newspaper=South Coast Bulletin |issue=907 |location=Queensland|date=24 October 1945 |access-date=11 May 2016 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
Jim Cavill died at the Surfers Paradise Hotel on 5 March 1952 and was buried in the Southport cemetery.<ref>Queensland Registrar-General Index of Births, Deaths and Marriages</ref><ref>[http://www.ancestry.com.au Ancestry.com.au]</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article63199149 |title=Death of Man Who Named Surfer's Paradise |newspaper=Townsville Daily Bulletin |volume=LXXII |location=Queensland|date=7 March 1952 |access-date=11 May 2016 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
==References== <references/>
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cavill, James}} Category:1860s births Category:1952 deaths Category:History of the Gold Coast, Queensland Category:People from the Gold Coast, Queensland Category:Surfers Paradise Category:Year of birth uncertain Category:Australian city founders
{{Gold Coast Landmarks}}