Ancient Briton Hotel (Bridge Street)
For other hotels with the same or similar names, see Ancient Britain Hotel.
 Picture needed | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Town | Ballarat |
| Street | Cnr. Main Road and Bridge Street |
| Closed | 1892 |
| Known dates | 1868-1892 |
| Other names |
Sun Hotel Gin Palace |
The Ancient Briton Hotel (or Ancient Britain Hotel) was a hotel in Ballarat, Victoria, <1868-1892.
Site[edit | edit source]
The hotel was on the south west corner of Bridge Street and Main Road.[1]
There is also an Ancient Briton Hotel whose site was not identified in the Ballarat Star in 1863. There is a reference to the Ancient Briton Hotel in a funeral notice for Thomas Evans in the Ballarat Star of 18 September 1868, where it is said to be in Main Road, opposite the Exhibition Mart. The publican's name is given as Hughes.[2] This name is different to Hargreaves who identified Daly as publican one week earlier.[1]
Background[edit | edit source]
It had also been known as the Sun Hotel and the Gin Palace.[1] Also named in the newspaper as the Ancient Britain Hotel.[3]
History[edit | edit source]
In the Ballarat East Borough Council report of June 1868, reference was made to the Ancient Briton Hotel:
"The works committee reported, in reference to Mr Ditchburn's application to be allowed to prop up the side of the Ancient Briton hotel, that if the side wall in question were unsafe it should be taken down, but that the committee would not recommend allowing props to be placed in the channel adjacent.[4]
In September 1869 the hotel was advertising for a good female cook.[5]
In February 1870, a well known offender, Henry Dixon, was charged with passing false cheques at the hotel:
The same prisoner was charged with uttering a forged cheque for £5 7s 6d to John Jardine, of the Ancient Briton hotel, on Saturday, the 11th of September, 1869. The prisoner came to his place on the evening of that day. Prisoner after being asked for payment for some meals, gave witness a cheques for £5 7s 6d, wanting him to take a week’s board,£1, out of it. Witness said he would present the cheque at the bank on the following Monday, and suggested that prisoner could stop until that time. Prisoner said be got the cheque from one Simmons, of Sandhurst, for wages. He also wanted 10s to go to the theatre the same night, but witness did not give it him. On the Monday he presented the cheques at the London Chartered Bank. It was forwarded to Sandhurst, and returned to him on the following Wednesday morning, marked “no account.”[6]
In May 1870, another customer was charged with presenting false cheques:
Martin Larkin, a middle aged countryman, was charged with the forgery and uttering of a cheque for £5 4s to Mr John Jardine, of the Ancient Briton hotel, purporting to have been signed by “Michael Kennedy.” The prisoner represented to Mr Jardine that the cheque bad been given to him by Mr Kennedy, who was a farmer in the neighborhood of Ballarat, with whom he had been working. Mr J. Jardine said he had advanced some money on the cheque, but that when he took it to the Bank of Australasia it had been returned to him marked “No account.” Michael Kennedy, farmer, of Learmonth, said that he had not signed the cheques and that he had no account at the Bank of Australasia.[7]
In 1874 all the stock, furniture and fittings of the hotel were offered for sale:
WEDNESDAY, 5th AUGUST. To Hotel and Restaurant-keepers, Private Families, and Others. STOCK, FURNITURE, AND EFFECTS, OF THE ANCIENT BRITON HOTEL. Corner of Main and Bridge streets. In consequence of the proprietor (Mr Stillman) giving up business on Ballarat and going to Melbourne. SAMUEL DEEBLE has been favored with instructions from Mr Stillman to SELL by AUCTION, at the Ancient Britain Hotel, on Wednesday, the 5th of August, at Twelve o’clock prompt. The whole of his valuable Stock, Hotel and Restaurant Furniture, consisting of parlor, dining, and bedroom furniture, of the most useful class; chairs, tables, chiffonniere, sofas, pianoforte, mirrors, paintings and engravings, cane seated chairs, large dining tables, side-board, couches, 40 single and double iron bedsteads, washstand and ware, chest of drawers, bedroom chairs, looking-glasses, horsehair mattresses, straw palliasses, feather and flock beds, carpels, mats, kitchen furniture, and utensils, knife-cleaning machine, patent mangle; in fact, an excellent assortment of hotel furniture: cross-cut saw, maul and wedges, set of dray harness, sundries, Ac. Terms Cash. No Reserve.[8]
The hotel was closed in 1892 when its license was cancelled following hearings by the License Reduction Board in 1888 and again in 1891.[1] In June 1888 it was described as being of 17 rooms and well conducted.[9] The court awarded the licensee £371 10s, and the owner £650 for the closure of the business.[10] It was one of 40 hotels closed during the year.[11][12]
In January 1893 it was reported that the building was unoccupied.[13]
Community Involvement[edit | edit source]
The People[edit | edit source]
- On 10 September 1868, the Ballarat Star identified the publican as John Day.[1]
- In September 1870, the license was transferred from John Jardine to William Stillman.[14]
- In December 1873 the license was granted to William Stillman.[15]
- In June 1887 the license was transferred from John Davies to Mary Ann Myles.[16]
- In June 1888, the publican was William Peart, and the owner J. Bernestein.[9]
See also[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Hargreaves, John. Ballarat Hotels Past and Present, pg. 19, 1943, Ballarat
- ↑ 1868 'Family Notices.', The Ballarat Star (Vic. : 1865 - 1924), 18 September, p. 3, viewed 2 August, 2015, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article113847512
- ↑ 1888 'THE BALLARAT LICENSING COURT.', The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), 30 June, p. 14, viewed 16 February, 2015, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article6136822
- ↑ 1868 'BALLARAT EAST BOROUGH COUNCIL.', The Ballarat Star (Vic. : 1865 - 1924), 17 June, p. 3, viewed 2 August, 2015, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article113845022
- ↑ 1869 'Advertising', The Ballarat Star (Vic. : 1865 - 1924), 14 September, p. 3. , viewed 13 Aug 2017, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article112854362
- ↑ 1870 'POLICE.', The Ballarat Star (Vic. : 1865 - 1924), 9 February, p. 2. , viewed 10 Jan 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article219305990
- ↑ 1870 'POLICE.', The Ballarat Star (Vic. : 1865 - 1924), 7 May, p. 4. , viewed 13 Jan 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article219308364
- ↑ 1874 'Advertising', The Ballarat Star (Vic. : 1865 - 1924), 3 August, p. 3. , viewed 25 Mar 2017, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article199327436
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 1888 'THE BALLARAT LICENSING COURT.', The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), 30 June, p. 14. , viewed 22 Nov 2017, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article6136822
- ↑ 1892 'No title', The Ballarat Star (Vic. : 1865 - 1924), 17 June, p. 2. , viewed 26 Apr 2017, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article204983408
- ↑ Hargreaves, John. Ballarat Hotels Past and Present, pg. 8, 1943, Ballarat
- ↑ 1891 'LOCAL OPTION IN BALLARAT EAST', The Ballarat Star (Vic. : 1865 - 1924), 21 September, p. 2. , viewed 01 Apr 2017, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article204315955
- ↑ 1893 'THE LATE LICENSED HOUSES IN BALLARAT EAST.', The Ballarat Star (Vic. : 1865 - 1924), 19 January, p. 4. , viewed 29 Aug 2021, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article209781692
- ↑ 1870 'POLICE.', The Ballarat Star (Vic. : 1865 - 1924), 17 September, p. 4. , viewed 13 Jan 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article218798515
- ↑ 1873 'LICENSING BENCH.', The Ballarat Star (Vic. : 1865 - 1924), 23 December, p. 2. , viewed 09 Jun 2017, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article201608881
- ↑ 1887 'No title', The Ballarat Star (Vic. : 1865 - 1924), 9 June, p. 2. , viewed 03 Aug 2019, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article207769815