Commercial Hotel (Daylesford)

For other hotels with the same or similar names, see Commercial Hotel.

Commercial Hotel

Picture needed
History
Town	Daylesford
Street	Vincent Street
Known dates	1870s-1928
Demolished	1929

The Commercial Hotel was a hotel in Daylesford, <1870s-1928.

Site

The hotel was in Daylesford.

Background

The hotel was one of six Daylesford hotels listed in the 1885 Victorian Railways Tourist's guide.

History

In April 1903 the hotel was damaged in a severe rainfall event which flooded the main street:

WATERSPOUT AT DAYLESFORD. DAYLESFORD, Friday. A heavy storm occurred at 3.15 a.m. to-day. In the afternoon another downpour, mostly resembling a waterspout, broke over Daylesford between 4 and 5 o'clock, and flooded the dwellings and business places. The street channels were unable to carry off the water, which ran over the footpaths. The metal in the streets was washed bare, and the channel crossings swept away. The Commercial Hotel dining room had five inches of water on the floor; other hotels suffered less severely: M'Kirdy's tinsmith's work house had 12 inches of water above the floor. Eganstown, four miles away, was visited by a waterspout at 1 o'clock, It did great damage to the young crops.

In September 1918 a workman was injured after falling from the roof:

Mr. Leon S. Merange, aged 46, a resident of Musk Vale, has been admitted to the Daylesford Hospital suffering from severe injury to his right foot, caused through accidentally falling from the roof of the Commercial hotel while assisting to build a chimney.

There was an attempt to auction the hotel in August 1924:

Stubb's Commercial Hotel, Daylesford, was submitted to public auction, but the property was passed in.

In January 1925 visitors staying at hotel were robbed:

Early on Sunday morning thieves entered bedrooms at the Commercial Hotel and Hotel Victoria and robbed visitors from Melbourne who were staying over the week-end. The following amounts were reported missing from the Hotel Victoria:- Two women £9 and £6, and one man £5; Commercial Hotel:- Two men £8/10 and £5/10/. In every case the door of the room had been left unlocked. The money belonging to the women was taken off the dressing table, and the men had their pockets rifled. A gold watch and chain was left in the pocket of one person, and jewellery and other valuables were left in other cases. The police are making inquiries.

In March 1925 the newspaper reported the hotel had been sold:

The Commercial Hotel, which has been conducted by the Stubbs family for many years has been disposed of to Duggans Motor Service. It is intended to turn the building into a motor garage.

In April 1925 more information was revealed about the sale:

Mr F. T. Smythe, of Melbourne, has taken over the Commercial Hotel Daylesford which for many years was conducted by the Stubbs family. Mr Smythe was welcomed by representative business men at a dinner held at the hotel.

The hotel business must have closed by March 1928, when the Daylesford Hotel took over the name:

The name of the Daylesford Hotel, owned and conducted by Mr. J. Tognini, has been changed to the Commercial Hotel.

Hepburn Shire information notes the Commercial Hotel was demolished in 1929 and the Rex Theatre built on the site.

Community Involvement

Meetings

• 17 September 1914, Daylesford Agricultural Society.

The People

• In the 1870s the publican was a Mrs. Bleakley.
• In December 1914 the license was granted to John William Stubbs for a fee of £150.
  • His license was renewed in December 1915 for a fee of £150.
  • Before 1922, the publican was John William Stubbs.
• In April 1925 the new publican was F. T. Smythe.