Tarnagulla Hotels.

Researched and written by Donald W. Clark.

Southern Cross Hotel:

At Sandy Creek, this hotel was operating prior to December, 1857, with Josiah Mashford as the licensee. On the 22nd June, 1859, the licence was renewed by Captain Murray, Police Magistrate at the Sandy Creek Court, to David Jones with J. P. Grey and John Beynon as sureties.

Old Rising Sun Hotel:

Corfu Reef, Half Way Diggings. Mrs Catherine Stubbs was the licensee on May 2nd, 1858. This hotel was removed to Llanelly Road, half way between Tarnagulla and Llanelly in December 1869. Mrs Stubbs was charged with sly grog selling on 2/6/1875.

Rising Sun Hotel:

On the northern boundary of the township of Tarnagulla on the east side of the main line of road. William Stubbs was licensed on 28/5/1858. Licence was renewed at Dunolly Court 18th November, 1859.

Sandy Creek Hotel:

On the old lead at the northern end of the Township. Daniel Hogan was licensed on 25/5/1858 and held the licence for several years. The hotel was advertised for sale on 22/1/1870. Catholic Church services were held in the ante room of this hotel until the church was opened on 11th October, 1865.

Kemp's Hotel:

Sandy Creek, Mark Kemp applied for a licence on 28.5.1858. Later referred to as Mrs Kemp's Public House, Sandy Creek.

George Hotel:

Commercial Road. Abraham B. Clay was granted the licence in 1858, the licence was renewed at the Dunolly Court hearing of District Publicans Licences on 3rd February, 1860. The licence was granted to Charles Waller on 7/4/1869, and a new billiards table was installed later in that year. Waller became insolvent in January, 1872, and died in July of that year. He had established the first line of coaches to operate between Tarnagulla and Sandhurst, known as the Excelsior Line, for both passenger and mail services. The stables attached to the hotel were used as the coach depot. The licence of the hotel was transferred to C. H. Robinson on 20/12/1872. The premises were taken over by John Ousley in 1891 and the stables used as a blacksmith shop. In 1907 the premises were taken over by Stafford & Sons, coach builders, blacksmiths etc of Dunolly, who built a new commodious blacksmiths' shop on the old stables area. Frank McNamee took over the premises from Stafford & Sons and continued there for many years. The Lyceum Theatre was attached to this hotel.

Company's Hotel:

Commercial Road. The hotel was built in 1859 and was opened on 26/12/1859. Festivities lasted for three days on opening. The building was of two storeys, built of brick and plastered throughout. It contained one bar, three parlors, billiard room, dining room, and four bedrooms with twelve others detached from the main building. Other out buildings consisted of kitchen etc. and stables to accommodate 30 horses. There was an underground tank capable of holding 3000 gallons of water. The licence was granted to Patrick McDermott at the Dunolly Court on 17/2/1860 and renewed on General Licensing Day on 12th June, 1860, and was transferred to William Hawkins in 1861. The premises became the headquarters of the Bet Bet Roads Board, following which it became the Council Chambers for the Borough of Tarnagulla, until 1915. The building was beyond repair and was removed by pulling the place down and storing the material for use of the Public Hall Committee. This took place on March 27th and 28th, 1981.

Tarnagulla Commercial Hotel:

Commercial Road. Josiah Mashford was granted a licence for this hotel on 22/6/1859, at the Sandy Creek Court. It was renewed in 1860 and again in 1861. He was followed by Llewellyn and then Alexander Turnbull. Mary lane Turnbull applied for the licence in February, 1865, for the consisting of 12 rooms with a general store attached. She was prosecuted and fined 5 shillings for failing to keep a lamp alight in December 1868 as required by the licencing regulations. George Powell obtained a Licence in 1868 and a billiard table licence in August 1885. On his death, Mrs M. J..Powell applied for the licence and it was in her name until 11/1/1890 when it was transferred to Stephen Williamson. Mr S. H. Norwood took over in 1907. The hotel was closed and sold in 1920.

Golden Age Hotel:

Commercial Road. Originally known as Foos' Family Hotel. This hotel was built by Joseph Foos in 1857-58 and was licenced as Foos' family hotel. Foos was granted the licence on 12th January 1859 and again in 1860 for Foos' Family Hotel but in 1861 and from then onwards it has been called the Golden Age. Foos held the licence until 1864 when it was transferred to J. F. Newman at the Tarnagulla Police Court. Then followed Frank Lewin in September 1865, T. L. Williams in January, 1868, E. Lewis in March, 1874, Annie Lewis in January 1884, Edward Toole, late of Laanecoorie, in June 1891, James Caldwell in February 1913, and then Thomas Saunders. Others to follow were Knapp, Kilpatrick, Emery, K. & L. Dalton, A. & J. Hammond, and E. & J. Foster. Foos, the original licensee, also built another hotel at the Tarnagulla Diggings, at Half Way, but particulars are not available. Whilst licensee of the Golden Age he built a hall attached to the hotel. The Maryborough & Dunolly Advertiser of August 15th, 1859 reported; "Foos has made the old hall larger and metamorphosed into a theatre". Many entertainments were held at this hotel, including some well known entertainers of the day. A ball was held in March 1858 and a Grand Reefers' Ball on 24/5/1858, with Radford's Band in attendance. This hotel is still licensed and operating although in a somewhat different form to the original as part of the premises were destroyed by fire some time ago.

Victoria Hotel & Victoria Theatre:

Further information recorded in a separate article to come.

Camp Hotel:

Situated opposite the Police Camp (now State School) on the north east corner of the intersection of Gladstone Street and Victoria Street, Tarnagulla. This hotel was originally the Jones' Creek Hotel at Jones Creek (Waanyarra) with John Laidlaw as licensee. Laidlaw removed and re-erected the hotel at Tarnagulla in June 1865. He held the licence until 1871 when it was closed. It was re-opened by W. Spencer in January, 1873. No further records available.

Corfu Hotel:

At the Corfu Reef, Tarnagulla Digging Half Way, between Tarnagulla and Newbridge. Emily Johnson was the licensee on 18/3/1871. The premises were sold as a store and dwelling on 30/4/1892.

Masonic Hall Hotel:

Commercial Road, opposite the Exchange Stores. Application for a licence by F. H. Goldsboro on 14.7.1869 for a brick building with nine rooms, granted. Advertised for sale in the Courier of 28.12.1873.

Royal Hotel:

Next to the Union Bank (which was later called "Lochcarron") in Commercial Road. A. B. Clay, owner, sold by public auction both the premises and furniture on Saturday 19/11/1870. Thos. Irvine took over the premises which he opened in June 1872 as the Cafe and Tarnagulla Dining Rooms, with board and residence available. The premises were advertised as the Tarnagulla Dining Rooms in the Tarnagulla Courier of 20/5/1872, with the following price list: "Breakfast, Dinner and Tea 1/-, good beds 1/-, cup of tea or coffee, with pie, bread and butter or bun 6d; accommodation for travellers with swags at 6d; boarders per week 15/- ". The premises were used as a lodging house for many years, and owned by Mr. H. Joyce at a later stage.

Junction Inn:

Dunolly Road, Iron Bark, Nuggetty, Tarnagulla. Frederick Radford Williams licensee from 18/3/1871 to 12/11/1887 when the licence was transferred to Samuel McEwan, who died 16.7.1892.