Antrim Arms Hotel

From Hotels of Ballarat
Antrim Arms Hotel
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History
Town Dunach
Known dates 1859-1914

The Antrim Arms Hotel was a hotel in Dunach, Victoria, <1859-1914>.

Site[edit | edit source]

The hotel was at the junction of what is now the Ballarat-Maryborough Road, and the Dunach-Eddington Road, in the locality now known as Dunach.[1]

Background[edit | edit source]

History[edit | edit source]

In January and February 1862 the hotel was the site of a local gold rush:

A prospecting claim was granted on last Saturday in the immediate vicinity of the Antrim Arms Hotel, on the road from here to Clunes and Ballarat, the declared prospect being 1½ oz. to the load; and already close upon a thousand claims have been marked out. No decided opinion as to the merits of this rush can be pronounced before the end of this or the beginning of next week. However, the eagerness with which shafts are being sunk argues a favourable judgment on the part of those most interested in the result. Should a lead be found taking into the hill, a prosperous goldfield may be counted upon, but if the gold be confined to the brow of the range (as often occurs on M'Cullum's Creek), a few only will be benefited, However, in any case this rush cannot fail to cause the highly auriferous-looking ground between here and Clunes to be extensively prospected.[2]
At the Antrim Arms rush a most appalling accident occurred yesterday, through the falling in of the sides of a shaft. Mr. Ford, watchmaker, Crescent, the unfortunate sufferer, was killed instantaneously, his mate, who was at work with him in the shaft at the time, miraculously escaped unhurt. Mr. Ford's death is an irreparable loss to a family of four very young children. It is a case which calls for, and will no doubt meet, the most active sympathy of our citizens.[3]
The citizens of Talbot have replied in a generous spirit to the appeal made to them on behalf of the wife and family of the late Mr Ford who was so unhappily killed at the Antrim Arms rush. Including the benefit at the Theatre Royal, a most acceptable sum will have been raised for this very laudable object In mining affairs I know of nothing new, the ultimate success or failure of the Antrim Arms rush still remaining a matter of conjecture.[4]

The hotel was offered for sale in December 1859:

FOR SALE. - The Antrim Arms Hotel and Store, with Furniture, Fixtures, &c, &c. This Hotel is situated near Mount Greenock, at the junction of the Ballarat, Creswick, Clunes, and Back Creek roads, and at present is doing good business. Terms liberal. For particulars apply to Moore & Dunn, Creswick; Samuel Connor, Clunes; or Thomas Bell, on the premises.[1]

In November 1862 the decomposed body of a hotel employee was found in the creek:

BODY FOUND.-Some three months ago we had to chronicle the death by drowning of a horseman who was attempting to cross M'Cullum's Creek, whilst it was swollen by the rains. Only yesterday the body was found, but in such an advanced stage of decomposition that it was impossible to recognize it by feature. The body was found under a log in the creek, where it had been jammed by the shifting sand at the time. It is believed to have been the remains of a man named Francis Brown, who was in the employ of Mr. Robert Manton, the proprietor of the Antrim Arms, on the Clunes-road. Mr. Manton was present at the inquest, held before Dr. Laidmnn, at Stephens's Erin-go-Bragh Hotel, M'Cullum's, yesterday, and in his evidence said, that he believed the body to be that of Brown, from a spur having been fastened on to his boot by a piece of twine, a fact Mr. Manton had noticed. The body presented a frightful spectacle, the flesh having gone from the bones of the face and head, and one leg having decayed away from the knee. The jury at the inquest returned the following verdict:-"That deceased was found drowned in M'Cullum's Creek, near Bucknall's crossing. We believe that the body is that of Francis Brown, who was accidentally drowned in the same place about three months since.[5]

In April 1872, Thomas Maguire was charged with fraud after staying at the hotel:

On Wednesday, 3rd April, before the Mayor and Mr Appleby, J.P., James alias Thomas Maguire was charged with obtaining goods under false pretences from William Sparks, by uttering a valueless cheque for £1. It appeared that the prisoner went into the Antrim Arms hotel, Mount Greenock, on 15th March, had two drinks and paid for them. He then called for three more, tendered a sixpence, and wanted credit for the shilling, but the landlady, Mrs Sparks, having demurred to such an arrangement prisoner became indignant, said he was a farmer and lived at Mount Beckworth, and it was a hard thing a man like him could not get credit for a few drinks. He had money in the bank at Clunes, and would give a cheque for what he had. A blank cheque-book of the Bank of Australasia, Talbot, was given by the landlady, and the prisoner not writing sufficiently legible a person named Charles Jones, who happened to be passing, was called in, and at the prisoner’s request filled in a cheque for £1 on the National Bank of Victoria, Talbot, the cheque being altered accordingly, and the prisoner signed it. The proceeds were spent in liquor, and the cheque on being brought into Clunes the next day and found to be valueless, was handed to the police, and a warrant taken out, and the prisoner arrested. The prisoner was next charged with breaking into the house of William Sparks on or about the night of the 15th March, and stealing therefrom a blanket and two bottles of gin, value 14s. He had gone to bed in a room in the house, but some time afterwards he said he would go home, lest his wife should be uneasy, and left the place, and next morning Mrs Sparks missed the old blanket which she had put over the bed clothes to prevent them being dirtied by the prisoner lying on them with his boots on; also two bottles of gin off the shelf in the bar. She also found that a window of the dining-room at the back (which was loose) had been taken out and put on a form in the room. When the prisoner’s hut was searched by Constable Durack, amongst the other articles found was a blanket which was identified by Mrs Sparks as the one stolen. The prisoner, who said he was so drunk at the time that he slept on the plains, and did not get home for two days, was sentenced to one month’s imprisonment, with hard labor, in Ballarat gaol, for the first offence, and fourteen days’ imprisonment, with hard labor, for the second offence.[6]

In 1914 the council repaired the road outside the hotel.[7]

Community Involvement[edit | edit source]

The People[edit | edit source]

See also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1859 'Advertising', The Star (Ballarat, Vic. : 1855 - 1864), 7 December, p. 4. , viewed 16 May 2019, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article72463639
  2. 1862 'BACK CREEK.', Maryborough and Dunolly Advertiser (Vic. : 1857 - 1867 ; 1914 - 1918), 10 January, p. 4. , viewed 17 May 2019, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article253502833
  3. 1862 'TALBOT.', Maryborough and Dunolly Advertiser (Vic. : 1857 - 1867 ; 1914 - 1918), 31 January, p. 6. , viewed 17 May 2019, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article253503577
  4. 1862 'TALBOT.', Maryborough and Dunolly Advertiser (Vic. : 1857 - 1867 ; 1914 - 1918), 7 February, p. 4. , viewed 17 May 2019, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article253503969
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 1862 'BODY FOUND.', The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), 17 November, p. 6. , viewed 17 May 2019, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article6481192
  6. 6.0 6.1 1872 'POLICE.', The Ballarat Star (Vic. : 1865 - 1924), 4 April, p. 4. , viewed 17 May 2019, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article197627807
  7. 1914 'TALBOT SHIRE COUNCIL.', Talbot Leader (Vic. : 1914 - 1918), 6 June, p. 4. , viewed 17 May 2019, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article119809297
  8. 1869 'NEW INSOLVENTS', The Ballarat Star (Vic. : 1865 - 1924), 6 February, p. 2. , viewed 17 May 2019, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article112883131


External Links[edit | edit source]