AUS-NSW-WEST Mailing List
Notes on Individual Hotels S-Z
Salmonford Hotel, Ford's Bridge
Norman McPhee, publican at Ford's Bridge, died. Born in Scotland. Ran the
Bourke-Wilcannia horse mail in 1871. In 1876 married Miss Gorman, took up a store at
Ford's Bridge, and ran a passenger coach between Bourke and Hungerford. He bought the
"Salmonford" Hotel from Ford and Arrowsmith. Later let it to R. Green and
retired and took up Homestead Leases, living on Winnabrinna. He leaves a wife, two sons
and a daughter.
( Town and Country Journal, Aug. 28, 1904 - Provided by W.J. Cameron for Bourke
Historical Society.)
In H.L. Bloxham's book, On the Fringe of the Never Never, the author gives a
description of a publican who is based on Michael McAuliffe of the Salmonford Hotel; he
calls him Tim Macauley of Salmon Bridge. This book is said to be fiction, based on fact,
the events in the main being true to life. Of McAuliffe's pub he says it has 12 to 15
rooms and they employed a barman, a groom, an old servant, a Chinese cook and two servant
girls. No one was allowed to say a rude word in the presence of the girls. When once
someone did, the publican thrashed him and lashed him to the rope of the fifty feet deep
well at the back of the hotel, lowered him down only twenty feet , chained and padlocked
the handle of the windlass and kept the key for three hours until a piteous apology was
howled out. Fiction based on fact.
( Information supplied by Jill Livingstone.)
Sandy Creek Hotel, Wilcannia Road, Cobar
SANDY CREEK HOTEL
W. McGRATH, Proprietor
The above Hotel has been thoroughly RENOVATED and will be kept in a FIRST-CLASS MANNER.
Good comfortable accommodation for MAN and BEAST. Liquors and beers of the best procurable
brands.
Forage of all kinds kept for the use of travellers' horses
A CALL SOLICITED
W. McGRATH Sandy Creek Hotel
Wilcannia Road.
( Cobar and Louth Herald, July 30,1892, Advertisement.)
Shamrock Hotel, Cudgellico.
Transfer of publican's licenses at Hay Court in the last three months [includes] the
Shamrock Hotel, Cudgellico, from H.D. Holden to his widow Mary Holden.
( The Riverine Grazier, June 3, 1874.)
Shamrock Hotel, Wilcannia.
It was announced in the Government Gazette of June 20, 1866 that land was set
aside for the town of Wilcannia. The first land sales were held in August and September,
1866, with nearly all the lots put up sold at a high average per acre. In 1867 W.R.
Bellamy obtained a license for the Shamrock Hotel, and in 1869 a license was granted to
William Kennavin for the Five Alls, and also one to J. Grace for the Royal Mail.
( Government Gazette, July 16, 1867 )
Silver Age Hotel, Broken Hill
SILVER AGE HOTEL
Argent Street
H. CHRIS ( late of Tramway Hotel, Roberts, and Elliott's )
has started the above Hotel, and keeps nothing but the best brands of Wine and Spirits
SIMMS' BEER
( Silver Age, Broken Hill, Aug.1, 1892, Advertisement.)
Silver King Hotel, Broken Hill.
Writing later in the same month, [October, 1885 when the Bonanza Hotel
opened in Broken Hill] a correspondent said that Broken Hill was rapidly assuming the
dimensions of a township. Population and building material were arriving daily. A second
hotel, the "Silver King", had opened.
( Silver Age, October 31, 1885.)
C. KELLY
Late of Botanic Hotel, Adelaide
Has taken the SILVER KING HOTEL
Where everyone will be welcome
( Silver Age, August 1,1892.)
[Kelly is not listed in the Gaz.]
(See also Bonanza Hotel, Broken Hill.)
For a photograph and description of the hotel - See :
http://www.ahc.gov.au/cgi-bin/ahdb/search.pl?mode=place_detail;place_id=575
Silverton Hotel, Silverton.
The first hotel keeper in Silverton, J. de Baun, sold nineteen tons of beer during the
first four weeks that the establishment was open. Those were the days when a bedroom held
half a dozen occupants nightly, and when those who could not get a room paid the same for
a bag or a board in the chaff-house.
( Silver Age, February 6, 1886 )
( If the nineteen tons of beer was all beer, then the hotel would have been serving 2,262
MIDDYS PER DAY ).
Brilliant Silver-Mining Syndicate - A General Meeting of the shareholders in the above
will be held at Tantram's (Silverton) Hotel, on Tues., Feb. 21st, 1888, at 3pm, to elect
officers and any other business considered necessary.
( Broken Hill Argus, Feb. 20th, 1888.)
For a good history of Silverton, and the use of the Silverton Hotel in the making of
films such as Wake in Fright, Mad Max 2, A Town Like Alice, Hostage, Razorback, Journey
into Darkness, and Golden Soak - See :
http://walkabout.com.au/locations/NSWSilverton.shtml
For a photograph and description of the hotel - See :
http://www.ahc.gov.au/cgi-bin/ahdb/search.pl?mode=place_detail;place_id=618
South Australian Hotel.
Marriage of Miss Mabel Crozier to Mr Julo F. McMillan, the third son of Mr Alexander
McMillan of Dunblane, Hawthorn and Caldermeade, Gippsland. Miss Crozier is the eldest
daughter of William Crozier , Moorna Station............After the ceremony a reception was
held at the South Australian Hotel.......50 guests.
( Federal Standard, Wentworth, Feb. 1896.)
Star Hotel, Cobar
STAR HOTEL
Cobar
D. MAHER, Proprietor
WINES, SPIRITS, ALES & BEERS all of best brand
Superior Accommodation. Good stabling. First Class Billiard Table.
( Cobar and Louth Herald, July 30,1892, Advertisement.)
Stockman's Hotel, Charles Street, Bourke.
Publican, Stephen Hindle, was an Irishman who had managed "Yanda", been a
mail contractor and a drover.
( Cameron W.J., History of Bourke, Vol.VI, 1977, p.29.)
Stoney Creek Hotel, Stoney Point, near Bourke.
Robert Henry Warmoll.
Robert Henry Warmoll was the licensee of the Turf Hotel in 1886 and the Stoney Point Hotel
1895-1897. He was also supposed to have built the Harp of Erin Hotel and then renamed it
four times for luck. He was variously described as respectable and intelligent, and well
known and widely esteemed; a part of the "Old Brigade". He held the positions of
Postal Inspector and later Justice of the Peace.
Robert came to Bourke in 1882 and established himself as a butcher with Richard Green. He then diversified his interests to grazing, cattle dealing and hotelkeeping. After the 1894 crash of the banks, which had followed a drought, Robert left Bourke for a few years to live in Waverley, Sydney.It Is believed that he owned a Bondi hotel. He returned in 1898 as the hotelkeeper at Stoney Point, which was 8 miles upstream of Bourke. According to the Electoral Roll, his son, Edward Matthew junior, was an overseer. However, when fire destroyed the hotel on 11th January 1899, the hotel was said to be the property of Henrietta Warmoll, and Edward was the licensee.
Henrietta Warmoll was Robert's second wife. He had previously been married to Sabina Tulley and had 3 children. He and Henrietta went on to have a further nine children. One of these children, Fred Warmoll, continued in the hotel business as licensee of the Riverview Hotel at North Bourke from 1938 until his daughter, Goodge, sold in 1966.
I have a photograph of my great grandmother Henrietta Warmoll, an 18 carat thimble
which belonged to her, and I know she was a great cook.
( Livingstone Jill, History of the Warmoll Family, Unpublished.)
Another Fire - The Stoney-Point Hotel Burnt to the Ground. On Wednesday evening at about half-past two o'clock a fire broke out in one of the back rooms of the Stoney Point Hotel, which is the property of Mrs Warmoll, the wife of Mr R. Warmoll, who was licensee at the time ( the second article correctly gives Edward Warmoll as the licensee).....Within half an hour everything was gutted. The property destroyed consisted of the hotel, furniture, stock in trade, the kitchen, feed room, meat house, men's hut, stock yards, sheep yards, piggery and all belongings.
( The account of the other fire appeared in the same edition. It referred to a fire in
Martin Street which destroyed a cottage and contents, the property of Mrs R.H. Warmoll.)
( Bourke Banner, January 14, 1899.)
The hotel at Stoney-point, the property of Mrs Henrietta Warmoll, was unfortunately destroyed by fire on 11th January last. Mr E.M.Warmoll, son of our well-known and highly esteemed townsman Mr R.H.Warmoll, was the licensee of the hotel at the time the disasterous fire occurred, and, as always was the case with this popular roadside hostelry, was doing a very fair business.......Just previously to the fire a considerable amount of money had been expended by the owner in the thorough renovation of the hotel premises, which, with the furniture and stock in trade, was insured in the New Zealand Fire Insurance Company for £1,050......So evident was it that the calamity had been caused by accident, no enquiry was considered necessary by the police or Insurance Co.....Since then....cruelly-envenomed statements....with the result at Mr R.H.Warmoll's personal request.....a formal enquiry.
The only witness examined was Mr E.M.Warmoll, licensee of the hotel, who was absent at
Bourke on the night of the fire. He valued the uninsured portion of the destroyed premises
at £400. A woman named Barry had been employed as housekeeper at the hotel and was a
person of such intemperate habits that he had been compelled to limit her grog allowance
to three drinks a day. The coroner adjourned the inquiry till Wednesday.......Jury - Open
verdict.
( Bourke Banner, March 1 & 4, 1899.)
Sturt's Billabong Hotel.
Death of Mr J.T. Smith.
Another very old resident of the district passed away last Monday morning, in the person
of Mr James Thomson Smith, whose death occurred at the residence of his daughter, Mrs
Newman, Wentworth. The deceased gentleman who was a native of Dundee Scotland, and was 69
years of age, was a colonist of 47 years standing, having arrived in Melbourne in 1852,
shortly afterwards taking up his residence in South Australia. He resided for a time at
Balhannah, and a few years later, in 1859, came up to Wentworth, where he carried on the
business of a general store-keeper for many years......built one of the first houses.....
Leaving Wentworth he took up his residence at Sturt's Billabong where he was engaged in
hotel keeping, and afterwards went to Wilcannia. There he had a lot to do in the coach
agency business and resided for a lengthy period, after which he settled down with his son
at Middle Yards, Darling River........Deceased leaves a widow, still in Wentworth with her
daughter......father of Messrs William Smith, Middle Yards, Sydney Smith, Cuthero, and Mrs
Newman, Wentworth, and there are also two other sons and 3 daughters living.
( The Federal Standard, Wentworth, Nov. 4, 1899.)
( See also Balpunga Hotel.)
Sydney Club Hotel, Broken Hill
SYDNEY CLUB HOTEL
Argent-Street South
J. McKIE, Proprietor
Begs to notify to the public generally that he has taken the above Hotel, and with
civility and strict attention to business hopes to meet a fair share of patronage. Nothing
but the Best Brands of Spirits, Wines and Beers kept on the premises.
( Silver Age, Broken Hill, Aug.1,1892, Advertisement.)
[ Gaz. does not mention McKie.]
Tankarooka Hotel.
[ Wilcannia to Bourke; Part of a journey alongside the Darling by The Raven.] "The way was long, the wind was cold," so thought I, as the coach from Wilcannia to Bourke deposited me, about 2 o'clock one morning, in the charming little town of Tankarooka, situated on the River Darling, some 80 odd miles above Wilcannia; but it was dark, and I was neither able to see the place nor yet to question the leading inhabitants, either as to its prospects of becoming, at no far date, the great central capital of Australia, or their belief in having the Darling tapped by a railway at this particular point. I subsequently learnt from the driver, that Tankarooka consisted solely of the public house, to the door of which he had driven, and which also serves the purpose of store and post office; not knowing this, however, we enjoyed our early breakfast of hot coffee and grilled chops quite as much as though we had been indulging in the same repast within the precincts of one of our lordly coffee palaces.
In about two hours after leaving, with a fresh team, we came to Kallara, and were
enabled to snatch a few hours well-earned repose at an hotel kept by Messrs. Morrison
Bros., the mail contractors.
( Town and Country Journal, Oct. 15, 1881, p.746.)
We next [after Tilpa, Marra station and Buckambe station] come to Tankarooka Hotel,
which is on the main road to Wilcannia, and close to the river. This place offers
first-rate accommodation to travellers, and is well kept by the owner, Mr F.A. Wallace.
The frontage on both sides of the Darling looks well. Tankarooka, owned by Mr Mungoran,
has an area of 6,380 acres.
( The Sydney Mail, April 21, 1894.)
Tareena Hotel see Pinetree Hotel.
Tattersall's Hotel, Barringun.
Built around 1870......Once the drinking spot of poets Will Ogilvey and Breaker Morant
and the starting point for Cameron's survey of the border, today the Tatt's still provides
old world hospitality.
( Pubs of the Past and Present in Bourke, Tour Guide, Bourke Visitors' Centre.)
Tattersall's Hotel, Bourke
TATTERSALL'S HOTEL
BOURKE
HENRY COLLESS, Proprietor
Replete with every accommodation
The choicest Liquors and Cordials
Stables, steady Groom, Baths, Billiard Table, Drawing Rooms
N.B. - Booking Office for Cobb and Co.'s Royal Mail coaches,
Bourke to Railway Terminus, for mail Routes beyond Bourke,
and for Cohn and Rowe's Royal Mail coach to Cobar.
( Riverine Grazier, June 17, 1874, Advertisement.)
TATTERSALL'S HOTEL
Mitchell Street
BOURKE
[One line is illegible]
A.C. BILTON
SOLE PROPRIETOR
( The Western Herald and Darling River Advocate, Aug. 8, 1888, Advertisement.)
( Floods at Bourke - See also Oxford and Royal Hotels, Bourke ).
Some of the buildings are faring badly, Tattersall's Hotel being prominent in this respect. The inmates are all vacating the premises, and serious things are apprehended.......... There are two large rents in the [ ? ] of Tattersall's Hotel, Mitchell Street, the [ ? ] doubling up and wide spaces appearing around the doors and windows. In the same street Donoghoe's ( Gladstone ) Hotel is in a very dangerous condition and everybody has left the place.
Monday - The whole town is a scene of abject ruin and desolation. Merchants have deserted their, but a few days back, lucrative businesses. The hotels are closed and the majority are forsaken. A steamer plies daily to North Bourke, where the majority of the inhabitants are camped. Several buildings in town are beginning to subside, but no casualties have been reported so far.
3.30 pm - The first casualty in connection with the floods is reported today, when a
man, whose name is at present unknown, was found drowned in a lane at the rear of
Tattersall's Hotel. He must have either fallen into a hole and drifted to where his body
was found, or else have been intoxicated, for the water in the lane was only about 3ft 6in
deep........ The only places that have resisted this terrible flood are the post-office,
courthouse, McKenzie's and adjoining premises and stores, Dugan's ( Carrier's Arms )
Hotel, Caro's store , and a few other buildings at the lower or northern end of Mitchell
Street.
( Town and Country Journal, April 26, 1890.)
Tattersall's Hotel, Broken Hill
Lady Brassey Extended S.M. Syndicate - A Meeting of Shareholders will be held at McFie's, late Lee's, Tattersall's Hotel on Thursday evening, 23rd inst. W. Pellew, Sec.
( See also Silver King Hotel, Broken Hill.)
Tattersall's Hotel, Cobar
DENTAL NOTICE - Mr G.H. Webb, D.D.S., successor to Mr J. Levin, Surgeon Dentist, will
commence business in Hay at Tattersall's Hotel on 26th and 27th of August.
( Hay Standard, Aug. 24, 1892.)
Tattersall's Hotel, Hay
TATTERSALL'S HOTEL, HAY
GEORGE ESPLIN
Has great pleasure to inform his old patrons that he has taken the above Hotel,
and having had the house done up thoroughly,
he is now in the position to accommodate his friends and the public
in a most comfortable manner
FIRST CLASS STABLING and LOOSE BOXES
The Wines and Cuisine will speak for themselves
( Hay Standard, Nov. 1, 1871, Advertisement.)
The very extensive additions to this substantial house are progressing rapidly. There
is notably one room of noble proportions which, it has been suggested, would make a
capital place for holding the Quarter Sessions in until the Government moves in this
matter of a new Courthouse. .......Rooms for judge, barristers and jury, could all be held
here, and altogether the idea is well worthy of consideration.
( Hay Standard, Feb. 7, 1872.)
TATTERSALL'S HOTEL
HAY
GEORGE ESPLIN
Has great pleasure in announcing that in consequence of the liberal patronage hitherto
bestowed on him,
he has made extensive additions to meet the rapidly increasing trade.
His Hotel will now be found to be the MOST COMPACT and COMFORTABLE house in the district
PRIVATE ROOMS with separate entrance for Families
G.E. has also added a splendid Billiard Room, in which he has placed a first-class
Billiard Table
The Wines and Cuisine will speak for themselves
Excellent Stabling and attentive Grooms
Saddle Horses, Double and Single Buggies on hire
Extensive, well-grassed paddocks for horses
( Wagga Wagga Advertiser, July 10th, 1875.)
The leading hotel in Hay is Tattersall's Family Hotel, Lachlan Street. The building, of
brick, has a good external appearance, and the interior contains nearly thirty rooms.
There are two large dining rooms, a fine billiard-room, four [or?] five parlours, a few
private rooms, and eighteen sleeping apartments, [?] bathroom, &c. The capabilities of
Tattersall's were put to a severe task during my stay, when the Hay Pastoral Dinner and
Ball took place. The town was pretty full of visitors, and the dinner and ball took place
in the hotel. The ball supper was a magnificent one, and called forth the admiration of
the metropolitan visitors, who said they [?] saw anything superior to it in Melbourne or
Sydney. The following evening the Hay Pastoral Dinner was also given at host Esplin's.
Over sixty gentlemen sat down in the long room to a dinner quite equal to any spread that
I have ever seen given in the metropolis. The tickets were fixed at 30s. each. The stables
are in keeping with the character of the hotel, and contain twelve [in?] stalls.
( Town and Country Journal, Sep. 14, 1872, A Tour to the South - Article supplied
by Hay Historical Society.)
TATTERSALL'S HOTEL, HAY
GEORGE ESPLIN, in returning thanks to the public of Hay and surrounding districts
for past favours, trusts by strict attention to business to maintain the character his
house has
First-class billiard table, attentive grooms, baths, &c
N.B. - Well grassed paddocks
( Riverine Grazier, June 17, 1874, Advertisement.)
One of the main advantages Hay possesses over almost any other inland town of New South Wales is the fact of there being an abundant water supply, being pumped up from the river into a tank at a fair elevation, and from thence distributed throughout the town by means of pipes. The work was erected by the municipality in 1876. It was not long before I benefited by this institution, as, upon going from the coach into the hotel, I was asked if a hot bath would be acceptable, a luxury I never expected to find out here.
Lachlan-street, the main street of Hay, is an unusually fine thoroughfare for an inland town. Its beauty is enhanced by the planting of trees, at short intervals. In this street are to be found most of the chief places of interest. The two buildings which I consider remarkable are the A.J.S. Bank and the Tattersall's Hotel; the former, which cost, I think, £7,000, is of a size and convenience which will not be required here for years to come, the latter, both externally and internally being, without doubt, unsurpassed for appearance, style and comfort in Sydney itself. Mrs Esplin, the widow of the late proprietor, deserves great credit for the way in which she has managed this business for the last three or four years, no easy occupation I should think, seeing she gives the whole concern - from the beds to the stables, of which there are not a few - her personal supervision; and this along with the fact that she employs over 20 servants.
Hay is the centre of the largest sheep district in Australia, which district carries
the enormous number of four millions. It is also the main route for travelling stock,
being the shortest from the Lachlan, Darling, and, in fact, from the Gulf of Carpentaria,
to Melbourne. Its position is unsurpassed, as there is easy communication with Adelaide by
water, with Melbourne by water or rail from Deniliquin, and with Sydney by rail. I don't
see what is to hinder Hay from becoming one of the most important and prosperous towns in
Australia.
( Town and Country Journal, April 30, 1881, p.848.)
Hay is quite a busy thriving place, situated on the northern bank of the Murrumbidgee, and being the head of the navigation of that river, and the terminus of the Great South-Western Railway, is the metropolis of Riverina, and rapidly assuming a position in the first flight of the inland towns of the colony.
The noteworthy buildings are the Joint Stock Bank, post and telegraph offices,
Tattersall's Hotel, the railway station ; a large number of pretty little private cottage
residences...
( Town and Country Journal, Feb. 28, 1885, p. 444.)
Tattersall's Hotel, Hillston
To Squatters, Selectors, and Others
Sheepskins and Rabbit skins bought in large or small supplies
H.M. Mitchell, Tattersall's Hotel, Hillston.
( The Spectator, Aug. 20, 1892.)
FOR SALE
or
TO LET
TATTERSALL'S HOTEL, HILLSTON
Apply to J.G. Carroll, Proprietor
( The Spectator, Aug. 20, 1892.)
TATTERSALL'S HOTEL
High Street, Hillston
First-class Accomodation for all Classes - Also Private Apartments, Billiard Room, Baths,
etc.
Good Stabling, Large Yards, Good Paddock, and a Plentiful supply of Fodder always on hand
TERMS - MODERATE
J.G. CARROLL
Wishes to announce to the Public that he has on hand
a very LARGE STOCK of all kinds of WINES, SPIRITS, ALES, PORTS, etc.,
and has opened a
SINGLE BOTTLE DEPARTMENT
Having determined to sell the same at prices lower than ever offered before at Hillston.
Hennesy's Brandy 8s., other brands 7s. Fifteen brands of Scotch and Irish Whisky to choose
from, 6s. per bottle. Best Old Port and Sherry, 4s. Ale and Porter 2s. Schnapps, Gin, Rum,
and all other goods at reduced prices to meet the times. Families supplied with Assorted
Cases. None but the very best of Wines, Spirits etc.,kept on hand, so the Public can with
every confidence rely upon getting the best article at lowest prices. J.G.C. is determined
to sell cheaply and quickly, his motto being
SMALL PROFITS AND QUICK RETURNS
( The Spectator, Aug. 20,1892, Advertisement.)
Tattersall's Hotel, Tibooburra see Central Australian Hotel, Tibooburra.
Tattersall's Hotel, Nyngan
The town of Nyngan is a new one, and almost entirely depends on the railway traffic for
its support. Before the line was opened to Nyngan the traffic from the copper mines and
the stations about Cobar and Nymagee was direct to Dubbo; and Nyngan was a small township
on the road from Bourke. On the opening of the railway the traffic from the big mines of
the district naturally went to Nyngan as the nearest and most convenient point; and the
consequence was that the township developed rapidly. It now contains about 1,000
inhabitants. The town consists generally of two streets, one each side of the railway
line. Nymagee Street, on the northern side of the line, has a number of large stores and
hotels and the newspaper officein it, and appears to be the principal business street. In
Cobar Street, on the south of the line, there are also some fine stores and hotels; but
they are not built as closely together. In this street are the Commercial and A.J.S. Banks
and other business places. The Courthouse, in Cobar Street, was at one time a hotel. It
has a frontage of 140 feet to the street, and contains forty rooms.
( Town and Country Journal, 1885, p.1123.)
Telegraph Hotel, Bourke.
Formerly the Telegraph Hotel, the Bourke Riverside Motel was built in 1876 (Gaz. has
License from 1875) and is now the oldest hotel standing. No longer a pub....
( Pubs of the Past and Present, Tour Guide of Bourke Visitors' Centre.)
TELEGRAPH HOTEL
(Late Mat Good's)
Mitchell Street, Bourke
ARTHUR MEADOWS begs to inform his numerous friends that
he has leased the above well-known and commodious hotel.
ALL LIQUORS ARE OF THE VERY BEST QUALITY
Superior Accommodation for Boarders
Good Table d'Hote
Billiards
Billiards
Billiards
( One of Allcock's best Tables )
A. MEADOWS, The Telegraph Hotel
( The Western Herald and Darling River Advocate, Aug. 8, 1888, Advertisement.)
( See also Half-way House, Barringun Road, Bourke District.)
Telegraph Hotel, Louth
TELEGRAPH HOTEL
LOUTH
J.F. MORRISON, Proprietor
FIRST-CLASS TABLE
Best Brands of Wines, Spirits and Beers
Drovers instructed as to the best routes for Water and Grass
( The Western Herald and Darling River Advocate, Aug. 8, 1888, Advertisement.)
( See also Royal Hotel, Louth.)
Telegraph Hotel, Pooncarie.
The slumbers of the inhabitants have been rudely awakened by the cry of
"fire" at an early hour yesterday morning. Old Steve, the hunter, being an early
riser, noticed a glare of fire at the end of the Telegraph Hotel. He speedily raised the
alarm, which brought forth the inmates and neighbours. There being a plentiful supply of
water in the tanks and well, the fire was quickly extinguished. A new chimney is now
necessary. A strange coincidence in the affair is that a wheelbarrow which was standing a
short distance from the end of the kitchen was totally destroyed. The police are making
investigations. The old man should now be good for a bag of flour. The premises are
partially covered by insurance in the Mercantile Mutual office, for which Messrs.W.
Bowring & Co. are agents.
( Federal Standard and Western District Advocate, Feb.4, 1896.)
The Queen's Birthday Sports in aid of our local Cricket Club were held here today (24th
May) and passed off successfully. There was a fair attendance. The results were :
Open Handicap - 1. J.Ballantyne; 2. A.Fields; 3. W.Williams.
Pick-a-Back - Mason and Hutchinson.
Old Buffers' Race -1. Prid. Richardson; 2. J.Ballantyne; 3.
A.Fields. Novice Race - 1. J.Humphries; 2. W.Williams; 3. L.Steadman.
Consolation - 1. J.Williams; 2. A. Fields; 3. C.Moses.
In the evening came our great carnival ball in aid of the Wentworth Hospital......Great
credit is due to our host and hostess Perry.
( Ibid May 29, 1897.)
It has been suggested by Rob Lans, Thelma Smith and Bill Smith ( The History of
Pooncarie and District) that the Telegraph Hotel, on the corner of McKinley and
Mallara Streets, was the former Mail Coach Hotel, renamed with the coming of the telegraph
to Pooncarie.
( See also Darling Hotel, Old Tarcoola (Lethero).
Senior Constable Beck apprehended a man for attempting to set fire to a storeroom at
the Telegraph Hotel.
( Federal Standard and Western District Advocate, Oct. 8, 1897.)
Thackaringa Hotel.
On the Northern stock route past the Barrier Ranges, John Stokie, who had been a
poundkeeper at Menindee, built a small bush pub at Thackaringa, five miles east of the
border, and served "fighting rum, guaranteed to kill as far as a Greener gun, and
sherry liberally diluted with dam water." In 1876 the manager of Kars, an outstation
of Kinchega, told H.B. Hughes that 6000 of Dean and Laughton's sheep were stuck at
Thackaringa and the men drunk. He complained, "It is a fearful hole, that place, to
get these River Darling men past." Two well-sinkers discovered silver-lead ore there
and Patrick Green, a storekeeper from Menindee, pegged out the pioneer mine, the first to
operate in the Barrier Ranges.
( Withers Maxine, Bushmen of the Great Anabranch, 1989, p.78.)
In August, 1883, Thackaringa had a public house, conducted by Mr Penrose. A galvanized
iron store was in course of erection by Mrs Downey. The nearest post office was seven
miles away. In 1887 the township consisted of a store, a post office, a hotel, and the
houses of a few managers. The population was between 200 and 300 in 1888, and was said to
belong architecturally, like all Barrier townships, to the "Iron Age", the
structures being erected of the friend of hurriedly built settlements - galvanized iron.
( Barrier Silver and Tin Fields )
The House That Jack Built, Ford's Bridge
Ford's Bridge-This name was in use in 1869, when M. McAuliffe obtained a license for a
hotel called "The House That Jack Built".
( Government Gazette, November 21, 1869 )
A visitor in 1871 wrote : This said bridge (Ford's Bridge) proved to be a dam erected
by the the late Bogan River Company.
( Town and Country Journal, June 24, 1871 )
Ten years later a correspondent said that at Ford's Bridge there was a public house and
also sundry other buildings, but he did not think the place "would be up to
much".
( Town and Country Journal, May 14, 1881.)
Theatre Royal Hotel, Broken Hill.
In contrast to present staffing policy, the early Councils had few permanent employees and a fluctuating number of casual workers. Among the permanent staff, however, there was always at least one health or sanitary inspector. Samuel Alker, the first health inspector (in Broken Hill) was indefatigable. His blunt letters of notice left no doubt as to the problem. In a typical letter, John McMahon [Gaz. has Patrick McMahon as the publican 1890-1894], of the Theatre Royal Hotel, was told of the "filthy condition of the closets used in connection with the Theatre" and that "the whole of the earthen floor of the urinal is saturated with urine".
We can assume that the fall in the number of deaths by typhoid which occurred between
1889 and 1891 was a practical result of Alker's bicycle patrols of the town. It seems that
the city's hotels and lodging houses were particularly prone to breaching the health
regulations, as were the town's light industries such as Resch's cordial factory and the
soap works.
( Solomon R.J., The Richest Lode, Broken Hill 1883-1988, 1988, p.218.)
THEATRE ROYAL HOTEL
Argent-Street, Broken Hill
BEST BRANDS OF WINES, SPIRITS, ALES &c ALWAYS ON HAND.
P. McMahon, Proprietor.
( Silver Age, Broken Hill, Aug 1,1892, Advertisement.)
( See also Silver King Hotel, Broken Hill.)
Thistle Hotel, Grenfell
GRENFELL
THISTLE HOTEL
Proprietor - JOSEPH RICH
Good Stabling, with a Careful Groom
BATHS AND BILLIARDS
( Wagga Wagga Advertiser, July 10, 1875, Advertisement.)
Three Corners Hotel see Friend-in Need Hotel.
Tibooburra Hotel.
Tibooburra is noted both for its remoteness and its sky-high temperatures in summer....yet it still managed to draw people in hoards after gold was discovered at Mount Browne in 1881. People poured out of the river ports of Wilcannia and Bourke intent on scratching a fortune from the dirt. But the scene at Mount Browne, and later at Tibooburra, was one of despair. There was barely enough fresh water for men and horses to drink let alone wash off the auriferous dirt.
It was the wily old "cattle king", Sidney Kidman, who set up the first ration
store at Tibooburra knowing that the miners would want meat, flour and provisions. The
store was an instant success; but the lack of water at Mount Browne and Tibooburra made
them tragic places. Men were stricken with sandy blight and died of typhoid and dysentery.
Within three years the area had produced about £80,000 worth of gold but at such an
alarming cost in money, health and life that the diggers retreated rapidly.
( Newell Rex, Famous Australian Pubs, Text : Northbridge Securities Pty Ltd,
1997, p.70.)
Traveller's Rest Hotel, Corona Point.
Malcolm and Florence Miller came to the Pooncarie area from South Australia in 1927,
with their two small daughters June and Roslyn. Malcolm had managed "Winbar" in
the Bourke area before moving to SA. Florence was the youngest daughter of Eli and Sara
Barnfield of Tapio. Florence was born in 1985 [?1895] at her parent's wayside Hotel
"Coona Point" [Licensed as "Traveller's Rest", Corona Point, Barnfield
1892-1900], which was situated just south of "Cuthero"; her birth was registered
at the Pooncarie Police Station.
( Lans Rob, Smith Thelma, Smith Bill, The History of Pooncarie and District, No
date, p.183.)
Traveller's Rest Hotel, Wallanbeen
TRAVELLER'S REST HOTEL
WALLANBEEN
P. POWELL, Proprietor
The Proprietor of the above Hotel has FIRST-CLASS STABLING
And Good Accommodation for Travellers
Wines, Beers, and Spirits of the Best Brands
( Wagga Wagga Advertiser, July 10, 1875, Advertisement.)
Turf Hotel, Bourke.
Edward Matthew (Ned) Warmoll - Publican Enngonia Hotel 1876; Turf Hotel 1877-1879, 1884-1886; Half-way Hotel 1892. Born in Armagh in Northern Ireland in 1847, Ted came with his parents, Robert and Eliza Warmoll and family to Australia in 1855. The family spent some time at Wagga, and in 1873, Ned married Louisa Cleverdon, the daughter of Thomas Cleverdon. Her father was described as a free selector.
Ned and Louisa went on to have eleven children. Ned was an alderman on the Bourke
Council for a time. He may also have led a rather wild lifestyle, which was described in
H.K. Bloxham's "On the Fringe of the Never Never". The character Ned Coldham was
based on Ned Warmoll. He was described as generous, an excellent horseman, red bearded,
large mouthed and shining eyed and unfailingly delightful to the "colleens", a
gambler, spendthrift and hard drinker who thought nothing of paying fifty pounds for a
horse worth 25 if it matched his other horses. Ned died in 1892 aged only 45. His son,
Robert Henry junior, went on to be the genial licensee of the Enngonia Hotel in 1900 and
the Dry Lake from 1906 until 1921.
( Livingstone Jill, History of the Warmoll Family, Unpublished.)
( See also Stoney Creek Hotel, Bourke.)
Union Club Hotel, Broken Hill.
For a description of the building - See :
http://www.ahc.gov.au/cgi-bin/ahdb/search.pl?mode=place_detail;place_id=100443
Union Hotel, Bourke
Mr Whitehead...and Messrs. N.Davis and E. Warmoll occupied rooms at the cottage (next
to the Union Hotel) on the Saturday evening before the fire. On the Sunday they went as
usual to the Empire Hotel for breakfast, leaving the cottage apparently secure, and it was
while they were at breakfast that the fire was seen to break out. A fierce nor-wester was
blowing at the time the flames were seen, and in less than 20 minutes after the alarm was
raised, the whole of the cottage and its valuable contents were in ruins. But the damage
did not end there. The southern side of the cottage abutted on a number of the Union Hotel
bedrooms of the wooden material and at the rear were the stables and loose boxes
containing a large quantity of harness, horsefeed, and other valuable materials. And as no
human effort could divert the fiercely raging fire, assisted in its destructive work by
the roaring gale, the bedrooms, stables, loose-boxes and all were consumed almost in the
twinkling of an eye. Through some want of forethought the news of the fire had not been
communicated at once to the fire brigade office, and the cottage must have been ablaze ten
minutes before the alarm bell rang. Consequently, when the gallant firemen arrived on the
scene, it was apparent that the cottage and the already blazing hotel bedrooms and stables
were beyond recovery.......Devoted their efforts to stay the spread of the fire and save
the remainder and the principal portion of the hotel and the entertainment hall on one
side and Mr K.C.McKenzie's large private residence on the other...... For the first time
within our knowledge of Bourke the supply of water was fairly ample.....Mr McKenzie's
residence was rescued just in time...and Tobin's (Union) Hotel and Hall were not
completely destroyed....
( Bourke Banner, March 1, 1899.)
Urana Hotel, Urana
THE URANA HOTEL
URANA
EDWIN STAFORD having taken the above well-known Hotel,
is now prepared to accommodate his friends and the public in a style not to be surpassed
in the Riverina.
Choice Liquora, a Good Table, Airy Bedrooms, and A1 Stabling
will always be obtained by visitors to the Urana Hotel
( Wagga Wagga Advertiser, July 10, 1875, Advertisement.)
Victoria Hotel, Tolarno.
The Victoria Hotel business at Tolarno is to be sold.
( Federal Standard, Wentworth, April, 1900.)
( See also Cliffs Hotel, Tolarno.)
Wallacetown Hotel
WALLACETOWN HOTEL
GEORGE WALLET, Proprietor
GEORGE WALLET, having purchased the above well-known Hotel, desires to announce that it
has undergone thorough renovation and refurnishing in every part, and now offers
accommodation calculated to give complete satisfaction to visitors
The TABLE arrangements will be liberal, and engage at all seasons the Proprietor's most
careful attention
The WINES, SPIRITS, &c., will be judiciously selected in the best market
EXCELLENT STABLING WITH FIRST-CLASS FORAGE
( Wagga Wagga Advertiser, July 10, 1875, Advertisement.)
Wanaaring Hotel
Having purchased the Rex Newell painting of the Wanaaring Hotel some years ago, I was very interested to read the story behind it ( Newell Rex, Famous Australian Pubs, Text Northbridge Securities Pty Ltd, p.72.)
The tiny settlement of Wanaaring, 1122 kilometres north-west of Sydney had a pub nearly a hundred years before it had power. Electricity reached Wanaaring in August 1982 and there was much jubilation as the lights went on in the street and the fifteen buildings that made up the small settlement. The population of seventy-five residents stood in the main street cheering and then headed off to the pub.
An old-timer remarked, "We can now hear the dogs barking in Wanaaring. Before when the generators were going at the pub, the police station, the general store and the health centre you couldn't hear a thing. It was like having your head in a car bonnet on a corrugated road!"
The pub at Wanaaring these days is the focal point of the town.It is a small modern building with a happy family atmosphere and Friday night sees most of Wanaaring in the pub...mums, dads, kids in pyjamas and dogs.
The pub painted by Rex Newell is the old pub at Wanaaring. It went the way of so many bush hotels....in a fire many years back. Someone showed Newell a picture of the old pub...and it quickly found its way onto a canvas.
Wanganella Inn, Wanganella
The village of Wangonilla (Wanganella) is a small one, boasting of a store, a school,
and two public houses.....The Wangonilla Inn was built for a squatter, (Mr Brodribb) whose
station it was on. It is a good large building, carried on by Mr Dillon. Nearly as far as
the eye can see from Wangonilla , there stretches away a vast plain on the road to Hay.
( Town and Country Journal, Sept. 21, 1872, "A Tour to the South",
Article supplied by Hay Historical Society.)
Warraweena Hotel, Bourke District.
Fire at Dry Lake.
An inquiry into the cause of the fire which occurred at the premises situated at Dry Lake,
Barringun Road, known as Warraweena Hotel, on the morning of 19th March was held on those
premises by Mr C. McA. King, P.M. on 23rd March. Katie Hannigan, servant; Theodore
Russell, boundary rider; Charles Davis, groom; and Katherine Robinson, licensee of the
hotel, all gave evidence; the jury bringing in an open verdict. The property was insured
for £700 in the New Zealand Co.
( Western Herald and Darling River Advocate, March 27, 1893.)
Weelong Hotel
(Beyond the Winbar boundary on trip down Darling - The Tourist) We next pass an hotel,
known as the Weelong Hotel. We make a halt here for the purpose of landing a quantity of
sawn timber. This hotel has the appearance of a very comfortable one. It is kept by Mrs
Hinds. She has a great collection of native birds, magpies, plovers, and blue bonnets, a
lovely little bird, a native of this district, grey with blue and scarlet tail; the wings
are also grey, tipped with scarlet; parrots of all descriptions, cockatoos, aquarians, and
numerous other varieties, which I have not seen elsewhere.
( The Sydney Mail, April 21, 1894.)
Welcome Inn.
Welcome Inn Carnival. Races and sports were held at the Welcome Inn on Boxing Day, when
all the local peds and sports put in an appearance as well as many disinterested
onlookers, not forgetting the ladies who turned out in force to grace the occasion
(10 horses in the Welcome Inn Handicap -3. W.Ablett; 7 horses for the Hurdles; 5 horses
for the Xmas Gift; 11 horses for the......)
( The Federal Standard, Jan.11, 1896.)
Sports at Welcome Inn.
Sports were held at the Welcome Inn on Boxing Day. Christmas day was exceedingly hot, but
during the night a cool change came up, and Boxing Day brought a few drops of rain and
plenty of wind. There was a fair attendance of sports comprising visitors from Cuthero,
Wentworth, and surrounding districts.
Following are the results of Sports -
Trial Stakes - J. Williams 1; C. Wells 2; P. Rice 3.
1 Mile Bicycle Handicap - S. Conroy 1; P. Conroy 2; E. Ewens 3.
Welcome Inn Handicap - A. Watts 1; A. Amey 2; J. Williams 3. 2
Mile Bicycle Handicap - P. Conroy 1; S. Conroy 2; E. Ewens 3.
Handicap Hurdles - F. Rice 1; C. Wells 2.
Three-legged Race - M. and F. Rice 1; W. and J. Williams 2.
Running Long Jump - J. Williams 1; A. Amey 2.
Hop Step and Jump - A. Watts 1; J. Williams 2.
A dance followed and was kept up till a late hour. The ladies were in the minority and
those present had every chance of enjoying themselves.
( The Federal Standard, Wentworth, Jan. 13, 1900.)
Henry P. Richardson - Obituary.
(Publican -Welcome Inn 1890-1892/3; Telegraph Hotel, Pooncarie 1894/5.)
Henry (Harry) P.P.Richardson was born at Avoca, Tasmania in 1843. The son of the Rev.
William and Mrs Richardson, he came to the Darling River region over 60 years ago
(c.1866). Well educated, ambitious and virile, Mr Richardson preferred vast empty spaces
to town, he was the type of "Colonial" that did things and did them well, and
helped to build the nation.
While still in his teens, he managed a farm called "The Boggs" in Tasmania, and his love of country life led him to accept a position on Lake Victoria offered to him by Mr Gell. He brought two thoroughbred horses to the station, riding them from Bendigo.He became head stockman at Lake Victoria station, but soon after it changed hands, he left for Moorara station as overseer for Mr H. Wreford, later becoming manager. He remained there until 1881, when he accepted a position as stock inspector under the NSW government, later becoming rabbit inspector, a position he held for many years.After leaving his government position, he went to Karpa Kora, Moorara's back station.
His widow is Mrs Eliza Richardson nee Williams. His children are Mrs Alfred Edward
Ballantyne of Balmoral Station, Mr Prid. Richardson of Leopard Wood Park Station,
Queensland, Edward Percival M. Richardson of Burtundy Station, Mrs R. Cameron of Mildura,
Mrs William O'Reilly of Prahan and Mrs J. Crang of St Kilda.
( Sunraysia Daily, Fri. Nov. 1926.)
The well-known property, Welcome Inn, Para East, River Darling, together on the land on
which it is situated, has been sold by Mr. J. McGalton, the present proprietor, to Mr.
E.P.Richardson, of Burtundy Station (son of Harry Richardson - above), who will take
possession on 1st of July. We understand that the old and popular hostelry will be closed
as a place of public accommodation on and after the above date.
( Federal Standard, Wentworth, June 25, 1910.)
Wentworth Hotel, NE Cnr Darling and Sandwych Sts, Wentworth.
The Kerridge Family came from England, journeyed up the Murray River to Lake Victoria
Station, and then on to Wentworth in 1860. Recorded in their papers is the account :
"There was a large brick building going up in Darling Street but the walls were only
about one foot high. When it was finished it was called the Wentworth Hotel and was owned
by Thomas McGeorge. This was Wentworth late in December 1860 when we arrived."
( Information from The Kerridge Papers provided by the Wentworth Historical Society.)
The building is situated on the approach to the Darling Bridge. The hotel stands on the
site of Wentworth's first inn. That first inn was a slab hut construction built in the
early 1850's, but was burnt down shortly before 1861, when John McGeorge erected a masonry
hotel structure on the site. The hotel played a significant role in the early community
life of Wentworth and surrounding region, being used for church services prior to the
construction of the various churches, Council meetings and other community service
organization meetings and activities.
( Shire of Wentworth Heritage Survey, Wentworth Shire Council (and photo):
http://www.wentworth.nsw.gov.au/docs/heritage//appendix5.asp
[ Comment - I don't quite understand how this fits in with the information from the
Gazette- Wentworth Inn - (my records are only given from 1865) Felgate 1865-1869.
Wentworth Hotel - Howard 1868; Brown 1869; McGeorge 1870;......
So for two years separate licenses were issued for the Inn and the Hotel when they were
supposedly using the same site.]
It is not so long ago that, with two exceptions, the whole of the original settlers of
the Darling were ejected, owing, as Mr Crozier at the meeting remarked, to the
notification that their runs were open for tender arriving at the Darling Junction the
very day in which they were to be opened in Sydney......(no telegraph)....The result was
that the men who had fought for and established homes in the wilderness were ousted by
people who had never seen the district, but who, by timely notice that tenders were called
for, were able........ The Meeting resolved to ask for the telegraph for Wentworth.
( Sydney Mail, 29th Nov., 1862.)
John Egge ( Wentworth Hotel Licensee 1874-1875.)
Captain John Egge is an institution of Wentworth.. He is a storekeeper and trader here on
a wholesale scale, and owns the Prince Alfred which trades on the Darling. This is of the
ordinary type of river cargo boats, but it is remarkable for the cleanliness displayed in
all its arrangements. The crew are English, with the exception of one Chinese. Captain
John Egge is himself a Chinaman. Born on the banks of the Yangtze, he came to Australia
during the gold era in 1851. Coming up the Murray as one of Captain Cadell's crew, he
commenced little by little trading on his own account - became butcher and providore,
steamboat skipper and proprietor, and wholesale merchant in all the necessities of life.
Captain John Egge seems to me to be a necessity on the Darling. His large store on the
wharf is full of spirits, wines, beer, canned fish, fruits, and meats, and all sorts of
notions. He pays as much in the season as £1,800 to £2,000 a month in customs duties,
and no man in the Australian colonies has a better credit with metropolitan merchants than
Captain Egge.. He is satisfied with small profits, and has built up his business, and
prosperity on that plan..... intelligent, patient, hardworking, honorable.There is no more
popular man on the Murray or the Darling. He plays Nap and loses his money like a man,
which endears him to one section of society. Yearly he gives a picnic for all the school
children of Wentworth, taking them down the river in his vessel. Walking round the town
you will hear youngsters singing in chorus, "Captain Egge is a jolly good
fellow."
( The Vagabond, Across the Border, At Wentworth, No.1, c.1885)
WENTWORTH HOTEL
(Opposite the Post Office)
Darling Street
JOHN DUNN, Proprietor
The Oldest Established and Most Comfortable Hotel in the District
Good Table. Splendid Accommodation For Visitors
Large and Commodious Stables
BILLIARDS BILLIARDS BILLIARDS
The meetings of the Pedestrian Club are held at this house,
which is the favorite resort of pedestrians
Agency and Booking Office for the Broken Hill Coaches
( The Federal Standard, Wentworth, July 23, 1892, Advertisement.)
( See also Racecourse Hotel, Wentworth.)
White Cliffs Hotel, White Cliffs.
The Opal fields are on one of the largest station properties in the colony, known as Moomba, which comprises four pastoral holdings, containing an area of 1,830,000 acres. The field was first discovered by two kangaroo hunters, Hooley and Richardson.....tracking a wounded kangaroo by blood stains on the grass and rocks...found red fire of the opal.....
The first storekeepers to open were Johnston and Paterson. S.Whitfield started the first butcher's shop. Now there are two hotels, two butchers, two bakers, any number of cool drink shops, and billiard saloons, besides a barber's shop, a dressmaker's, wheelwright and blacksmith's shop, two newsagents etc
The local baths are a short distance from the hotel, and consist of a canvas enclosure;
within are three compartments, separated by the same material, in each of which is a
shower-bath. The water is obtained from a small dam owned by the proprietor. When you want
a bath you whistle, or call out, "Bath, oh!"and a woman will go and get you two
buckets of water; you provide your own towel; you pour the water in the bath, then haul it
up to what height you choose, hang your clothes upon the floor, have your bath,
"which rough as it is is appreciated", pay 6d, and take your departure.
( The Sydney Mail, April 14, 1894, p.753.)
Wilcannia Club Hotel, Broken Hill.
For a description of the building - See :
http://www.ahc.gov.au/cgi-bin/ahdb/search.pl?mode=place_detail;place_id=561
Wilcannia Hotel, Wilcannia.
Wilcannia in 1874 is anything but prepossessing in appearance; the buildings on the
whole being of a very poor description, principally small weatherboard places, many of
them rather delapidated. There are three stores here - three hotels : the Mount Murchison,
R. Felgate, was kept until lately by a Mr Hatton who made enough money in it to invest in
a sheep station higher up the river; the Wilcannia Hotel, Mr McGeorge, and the Britannia,
Mr Cresswell. There were a baker's and two butchers' shops, two banks and four stock and
station agents. Dwelling houses were very much needed, as it was almost impossible to rent
one. There was no Court House - the Court was held in a cottage. The Post Office was in a
store. There was neither church nor clergyman. Two doctors carried on practice in the
town, and it was a very rare thing, the report stated, to find them otherwise than drunk.
( Town and Country Journal, December 26, 1874 )
In the late 1880s Wilcannia was Australia's third busiest port. Large wool clips passed
through it on their way for sale and the town also acted as a stepping off place for
exploration and development of the unknown land to the north towards the border and into
south-west Queensland. Paddle steamer trade from this river port stretched as far as
Goolwa , where the Murray meets the sea.
( Swann, Beyond the Darling, 1972.)
Wilcannia is 708 postal miles from Sydney. It has 13 hotels, numerous stores and
business places, three banks, one brewery and cordial factory, soapworks, woolscouring
establishments, churches, schools etc. The buildings are principally of very white
freestone, and have a light, clean, pretty appearance. The post and telegraph office and
courthouse are handsome buildings, so is the Wilcannia Hotel.
( Town and Country Journal, April 21, 1894.)
( See also Mount Murchison Hotel, Wilcannia.)
Willyama Hotel, Broken Hill
An indignant meeting was held on Tuesday night at Harvey's Hotel in Argent Street, to
protest against the action of the Broken Hill Proprietory Company who have summoned a
number of workmen for trespass in erecting houses on the Company's leasehold.... The
meeting resolved to protest to the Government and to ask that it be allowed to throw open
for occupation the surface of the Company's leasehold not in use by the Company's
workings.
( Broken Hill Argus, March 15th, 1888.)
Wilpatera Hotel
Towards the end of the sixties Henry and Hannah Smith and their daughter Matilda went to Lake Victoria, living in a hut in Wilpatera paddock, but they did not stay long with Duncan McPherson. In 1869, Henry Smith selected forty acres on the eastern side of the Anabranch on Tapio beside the deep waterholes at Wilpatera and built a hotel there, a day's ride from Wentworth. The pine for the hotel was pitsawn by Jim Norris and Wilson built the chimney of limestone concrete.
At last Mrs Smith was able to unpack the boxes of mahogany and horsehair furniture, china, silver and brass candlesticks brought from Cambridge. She could not bear to see men drinking when she thought they had had enough and when she was asked how she prevented it, she replied in her direct way, " On Sundays I used to lock the door, put the key in my pocket and go for a walk in the bush picking wildflowers. Sometimes I would visit a neighbour."
Drovers using the Anabranch stockroute crossed their sheep at Wilpatera and in November 1870 McClymont inspected a mob on the west side and reported in his diary : Crossed the Anabranch and came to Smith's hotel. The late Mrs Pannan of Wentworth recalled in 1966 : "I was born at Wilpatera on the Anabranch Creek ninety-one years ago. At that time there was an old hotel and only one other family there besides my parents."
Woolingate Hotel see Mount Harris Hotel.
Woolpack Inn, Mossgiel
WOOLPACK INN
MOSSGIEL
Travellers and the Inhabitants of the District will find the above Inn a most desirable
house to put up at,
both for the comfort of residence, and the excellency of the food and liquors supplied.
It is the desire of the undersigned to increase his already extensive business connection,
and while endeavouring to do so, wishes it to be understood that nothing will be wanting
on his part.
DAVID C. RIDDEL, Proprietor
( Riverine Grazier, June 17, 1874, Advertisement.)
[ Gaz. has Daniel C. Riddel.]
Yanko Glen Hotel
. "....A hundred and eighty-seven miles
For Tibooburra men
Beyond that final waterhole -
The pub at Yanco Glen."
( Swann Bruce, Beyond the Darling, 1972.)
Yanta Bulla Hotel see Louth Hotel.
York Hotel, Broken Hill
A Few Facts about Broken Hill.
Broken Hill has a population of over 10,000 persons. BHP Mine employs nearly 1,000 men. It
pays £1,000 a working day in dividends. Present stock value of Broken Hill Mine is
£6,400,000. At least 12 miners have got, or are putting up, valuable machinery to smelter
their proven ores. The paternal government has not spent a single shilling to macadamise
one of our miles of streets. When the wind blows there is more dust in the air in the
cubic yard than any town outside the great Sahara Desert. It is the place quoted in
Scripture where the mercury climbs out of the tube, and sits on the top to cool off. It is
the most law-abiding population ever seen on a mining field. Whenever there is a street
fight, hundreds of citizens stand round to see that there is no rascally interference on
the part of the police.
( Broken Hill Argus, Feb. 20, 1888.)
A new Hotel, presided over by Mr Oliver [Gaz. has Annie Oliver 1888-1889] was thrown
open to the public last night. Broken Hill will be able to rejoice in the possession of a
House of Accommodation worthy of its wealth and population.
( Broken Hill Argus, Feb. 23, 1888.)
Bathing -
....the luxury of a swim in Oxide Street in the baths of Mr J. Silverthorn. On entering
you are supplied with a towel, and are either conducted or directed to a dressing room to
disrobe. The tank in which the water is held is about 60 foot long and 16 feet wide, and
being of a depth in places of over 6 feet, one is able to swim and dive. The water,
between 60,000 and 70,000 gallons, is changed daily.
Bathing Charges : Bath with 2 towels 1/3; with 1 towel 1/-; Weekly ticket 5/-; Monthly
ticket 15/-; Dozen daily tickets 10/-.
BATHS
BATHS
The Broken Hill
CITY SWIMMING BATH
Will be open to the Public
on and after
SATURDAY, 11th FEBRUARY
Between the hours of 5 and 8 o'clock am
and from 2 o'clock until 10pm
( Broken Hill Argus, Feb. 27, March 5,16 & 17, 1888.)
Valedictory - Members of the Broken Hill Mining Managers' Association met at Mrs
Oliver's York Hotel to wish God speed to Mr Lewis who is about to take charge of the
Beltana Mine, South Australia.
( Broken Hill Argus, March 28, 1888.)
New Exchange - The Barrier Exchange, whose rooms are at Oliver's York Hotel, was
opened today. The business being done was tolerably brisk. The Exchange meets twice a day.
( Broken Hill Argus, April 24th, 1888.)
YORK HOTEL
The public can rely on getting the BEST of LIQUORS and HOT SPICED BEER.
Also splendid accommodation for Boarders. Call and see
JAS. COSGROVE
( Silver Age, Broken Hill, Aug 1,1892.)
Here [at Broken Hill] are houses of canvas and corrugated iron, low places mostly, in
which one would kennel a dog or a cow in more settled districts. Tents, lean-tos, and
miserable shells dot the scrubland far and wide, while now and then a pretensious villa
stands out conspicuously in the meanness that surrounds it. A small dwelling makes a villa
here, and the hotels are palaces by comparison. The hotels are certainly most creditable.
The three principal ones are well kept and very orderly, and the cooking is fair. One or
two of them are quite metropolitan in their arrangements, and the menu cards are written
in aggressive French. There are boys in livery; there are silver plate and side-tables,
and French wines, and many courses. At the York Hotel, where I lunched, five entrees
stared me in the face, and other things in proportion; and one felt that one would have to
discard any notion of being free-and-easy because one happened to be in a mining town.
Free-and-easy! The people who imagine Broken Hill to be a place where one lives like an
aboriginal, had done well to have been with me at the opening of the Theatre Royal in
Argent Street. I wish they could have seen mingling with the noisy miners the swells in
evening dress who paid their 5s. for reserved seats, and came proudly in, undaunted by the
ironical cheers of the underground toiler in his slouch hat and dirty jacket. There was a
major in undress uniform; there was a volunteer captain in full dress; there was a
fire-brigade captain in official attire; and maids and matrons in lace, silk, and muslin,
as if they had stepped out of their boudoir at Darling Point, Toorak, or South Terrace.
( Parker Gilbert, Round the Compass in Australia, c.1892, p.203.)
For a photograph and description of the hotel - See :
http://www.ahc.gov.au/cgi-bin/ahdb/search.pl?mode=place_detail;place_id=579
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