Magic Minute The Beatles, Southern Cross Hotel and Me

By Laurie Smale

MAGIC MINUTE // So what did I as a young factory worker, have to do with the Beatles’ stay in Melbourne’s iconic Southern Cross Hotel during their legendary 1964 Australian tour?

Well, I played a vital part in the actual hand-crafting of the millions of sky-blue glass mosaic tiles that covered this multi-storey landmark from top to bottom!

And it all happened in a small tile factory in Frankston.

Pietro would make the glass at night; Aurelio, Lino and I would fashion it into those magic little tiles the following day.

Aurelio would twist a blob of molten glass from the furnace on his long tube; Lino would cut it and stamp it into a pancake of mosaic tiles; and I would paddle 3000 of these ‘cakes’ into the cooling oven every day!

All to the dulcet tones of Aurelio’s Venetian gondola songs and Lino’s endless travel stories that I’d listen to for hours as we worked on the project… I loved it!

Sadly, The Southern Cross Hotel and Lino’s wonderful mosaic fountain in the courtyard have since been demolished – yet my memories of it all survive!

Just think, the Beatles stayed there four nights, surrounded by millions of our stellar sky-blue tiles!

I’m Laurie Smale… Till my next Magic Minute. 🪄

#lauriesmale #magicminute #thebeatles #southerncrosshotel #glassmosaictiles #findingmefindingyou

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