Brewery Tap Hotel

Brewery Tap Hotel

Brewery Tap Hotel, 2011
History
Town	Warrenheip
Closed	April 2021
Known dates	1866-2021

The Brewery Tap Hotel was a hotel/motel in Warrenheip, Victoria, <1866 - 2021.

Site

The Brewery Tap Hotel is in Warrenheip.

History

In January 1907 the publican, Mary Ann Kenna was in trouble:

UNCUT BEER DUTY STAMP. A complaint against Mrs M. A. Kenna, licensee of the Brewery Tap Hotel, Warrenheip, that she had omitted to cut a beer duty stamp was inquired into. Mr Mulvaney remarked , that Mrs Kenna had neglected to cut the stamp through an oversight, and she was willing to be dealt with by the Minister. Mr Bradley said that he would make a report to the Minister of Customs.

In March 1914 two men were fined for visiting the hotel after hours for "private reasons", but would not reveal those to the court:

VISIT TO AN HOTEL PRIVATE REASONS ALLEGED. At the Town Police Court yesterday Willim Scates and John Kimber were charged with being found on the licensed premises of the Brewery Tap hotel, Warrenheip, during prohibited hours on Sunday, 1st February. They pleaded guilty. Const Levitt stated that the men went to the hotel about 8.30 p.m. on 1st February. He spoke to them after they came out, and they said they went there for private reasons. The licensee of the hotel also said the men visited the hotel on private business. The P.M. reminded the accused that they had an opportunity to explain their presence in the hotel. Scates: I went there for private reasons, and if there were not a third party interested I could say what it was. I took Kimber with me for a walk. The P.M.: Everybody coming here could allege the same thing. Men being found on licensed promises imperilled the licensee. Scates would be fined £2 and Kimber £1/10/.

In December 1914 a proposed Christmas Day sporting event was cancelled:

WARRENHEIP. A CORRECTION. The sports advertised in Wednesday's 'Star' to take place at the Brewery Tap hotel on Christmas Day did not receive the sanction of the licensee, Mrs Kenna. and consequently will not take place as announced.

On 22 March 1915, the hotel was included on a list of hotels to be deprived of their licenses. This list was complied by the Licenses Reduction Board in Melbourne. Licensing district hearings for hotels on this list were to be held at the Ballarat Supreme Court on 11 May.

In September 1926 the publican was charged with harbouring a policeman:

Harboring a Constable. HOTELKEEPER CHARGED. AN UNUSUAL PROSECUTION. BALLARAT, Wednesday. — At the city court to-day Frank Garner, licensee of the Brewery Tap Hotel, Warrenheip, was charged with having harbored a police constable while on-duty. Senior Constable T. L. Day said at 10.50 p.m.' on" 28th August he visited the hotel in company with Constable's Morris and Speed. There were several men in the temperance bar playing cards, and Constable C. L. Barclay, in charge of Warrenheip police station, was looking on. He said to Barclay, "I want to see you before you go," and after questioning the various- men as to their reasons for being, on the premises found Barclay had gone. The licensee, when asked, said he did not know where Barclay had gone, adding that, he (Barclay) at times stayed and had his meals there, although he had not booked for that night. Witness, in reply to Inspector Black, proceeded to say that Barclay should have been on duty, when Mr. Clarke, for defendant, objected. Witness, continuing, said that Barclay, as the man in charge of a country station was on duty all the time. Barclay was in plain clothes when at the hotel. Mr. Clarke submitted, there was no case to answer. The constable was in plainclothes, and had been getting his meals there. No proof had been given that the licensee had any knowledge that Barclay should have been on duty. Inspector Black: The licensee knew Barclay well, and must have known police duty in the country was done in plainclothes. Mr. Elliget, P.M.. did not agree with this view. In dismissing the case he said that on the facts there was no case to answer. There was no evidence of harboring within the meaning of the section.

In February 1935 the publican, Catherine Jones, was one of a number of Ballarat publicans fined £1 for having had men on the premises after hours.

Jones was fined again in June 1936:

Catherine Jones, licensee of the Brewery Tap Hotel, Warrenheip, was fined £1 on a similar charge in regard to 19th April. Three men were each fined 30/.

On June 1937 there was a serious incident at the hotel after a fight between the publican's husband and a group of young men:

DISPUTE AT HOTEL. Three Men Charged BUNGAREE Wednesday. — The story of a dispute between Charles Rasquin, husband of the licensee of the Brewery Tap Hotel, Western Highway, Warrenheip and a party of young men, culminating in the production of a gun and blows being struck, was told at the Bungaree Court today. James Lee, Timothy Carey, Lewis Tudor, Frederick Tudor, Edward James Munger and Thomas Harry Stanyer, all of Gordon, each pleaded guilty to a charge of having been found on licensed premises during prohibited hours, and was fined £1 with 3/10 costs. For having assaulted William Charles Fox (Rasquin's stepson), Carey was fined £3. Charges of offensive behavior against Lee, Carey and Lewis Tudor; against Lee of having assaulted Fox. and, against Carey and Lewis Tudor of having assaulted Rasquin, were dismissed. Rasquin said that he admitted the men at 10.30 p.m. on June 5. Lewis Tudor said they were bona fide. An argument followed his refusal to serve pots of beer, and after he had telephoned the police Carey and Tudor punched him, and Carey kicked Fox while he was on the ground. GUN BROKEN: Fox said that five of the men attacked him when he tried to detain them. He hit one with the butt of an empty shot gun. Lee said they rushed Fox because he had pointed the gun at Carey. He broke the gun over Tudor's shoulder, Carey denied that he had kicked or struck Fox. One of the party threatened to strike Rasquin, he said. Tudor denied having struck Rasquin, or kicked Fox.

In May 1950 the publican was charged with breaching licensing laws:

Cray But No Beer Plea Fails To Move Court BALLARAT, Tuesday. — Licensing police who raided the Brewery Tap Hotel, Warrenheip, at 11.45 p.m. on April 22, told Ballarat Petty Sessions today that they found four people on the premises as well as evidence of crayfish and beer having been consumed. Police said a man and a woman were found hiding behind a bedroom door with the light out and two men were found under a bed. One of the defendants who appeared, denied that any drink had been taken with the two crayfish, which had been brought from Melbourne for supper. "I only had a leg of the cray and no beer," he said. "A reasonably probable story I am entitled to believe, but in this case I do not accept it," said Mr D. J. Duggan, SM, imposing a fine of £1 each on the four defendants. The licensee was also fined £2 on a charge of having permitted persons to be on the premises after hours.

The Ballarat Courier reported in April 2021 that the hotel had not reopened after the COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020. A response from the licensee's company stated:

"We unfortunately will never open again thanks to Covid-19, Vic Roads and Ballarat City Council. Ballarat City Council want the building up to code, and Vic Roads will not come to the party. We have no $ (sic)."

Community Involvement

Inquests

• May 1874, into the death of Mary McGowan, a widow who had died from complications after childbirth. The pregnancy had been kept a secret, and the baby was never found.

Politics

• In November 1906, Richard Crouch, a candidate for the Federal Parliament seat of Corio, spoke to voters at the hotel.

The People

• In October 1866 and December 1873 the license was granted to William Honan.
• In September 1875 the license was granted to Edmund O'Neil.
  • In December 1875, 1877 and 1880 his license was renewed.
• In December 1884 the publican, Edward Collins, had his license granted in lieu of transfer.
  • It was renewed in December 1885.
• In June 1889 the license was transferred to Edmund O'Neil.
• In December 1895 the Ballarat Trustees Company applied for Annie O'Neil, widow of Edmund O'Neil, to continue as an agent to run the hotel.
• In July 1901 the license was transferred from Bridget Curran to Mary Ann Kenna.
• In January 1907 the publican was Mary Ann Kenna.
  • In December 1914 the publican was a Mrs. Kenna.
  • In 1923 the licensee Mary Ann Kenna, unsuccessfully tried to buy the lease of the Morning Star Hotel at Bungaree.
• In September 1924, the publican was Catherine Jones. She was fined for breaching the licensing laws.
• In September 1926 the publican was Frank Garner.
• In February 1928 the license was transferred from Pollie Blackburn to Reginald R. Lord.
• In February 1935, and June 1936 the licensee was Catherine Jones.
• In December 1936 the license was transferred from Timothy Foley to Mary E, Rasquin.
  • In December 1936 the publican was Joseph Rasquin.
• In September 1937 the license was transferred from Mary E. Rasquin to John Tudor.
• In March 1942 the license was transferred from John Tudor to F. Tudor.
• In February 1952 the license was transferred from E. A. Matthias to L. H. Thomas.
• In January 1954, the licensee, Gordon Simmons, applied to transfer the license to Edward Allan Barbour and Thelma Annie Barbour:

VICTUALLERS' LICENCES APPLICATION for TRANSFER of LICENCE. - I, Gordon Simmons, the holder of a Victualler's licence for Brewery Tap Hotel, at Warrenheip, in the Allendale Licensing District, and we, Edward Allan Barbour and Thelma Annie Barbour, both of 118 North road, Oakleigh, hereby give notice that we will APPLY to the Licensing Court at Melbourne on the 18th day of January, 1954, for the TRANSFER of the said LICENCE to the said Edward Allan Barbour, on behalf of himself and the said Thelma Annie Barbour, trading as "E. A. & T. A. Barbour." Dated the 23rd day of December, 1953.

• In April 2021 the license was held by NBK Nominees, and the building was owned by VicRoads.