Our History

Valetta was built around 1911 by Mr J.H. Peters, to a design by prominent local architect Harry Marks.

The house was purchased in 1913 by Mr Charles Skinner of Tweed Heads, for it was fashionable at the time to have a summer residence to escape the heat and humidity of the coast.

Mr Skinner and his brother were pioneers of the Tweed district, and established a soft drink and cordials factory in Murwillumbah.

Starting sometime in the 1920s, Valetta was also being used as a guest house, with newspaper advertisements boasting of its proximity to Queens Park and the Showgrounds.

After the death of Charles Skinner in 1935, the house was left to his daughter Enid, who retained it until 1972, when it was purchased by Ron and Merle Douglas for use as an antiques gallery for the next thirty years.

After a major restoration, Café Valetta was opened in 2004.