Coomoora Hotel

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

Coomoora Hotel

Picture needed
History
Town	Coomoora
Closed	31 December 1915
Known dates	1865-1915
Other names	Coomoora Wine Vault (1916-1937)

The Coomoora Hotel was a hotel at Coomoora, Victoria, <1865-1915.

Site

The Coomoora Hotel was on the Glenlyon Road, at Coomoora, between Daylesford and Glenlyon.

History

In July 1876 the publican's wife gave birth to her 16th child at the hotel:

BROWNE—At her residence, Coomora hotel, near Daylesford, the wife of J. U. Browne (her sixteenth child) of a son.

The hotel was sold in October 1912:

Messrs. Hugh Ross and Co. sold by auction on Saturday the Coomoora Hotel, one of the oldest established hotelries in this district, to Mr. J. Lanfranchi for £360.

In February 1914 the hotel was threatened by a bushfire:

On Friday a fire broke out in some blackberry bushes on the banks of the creek at Coomoora, and spread over the properties of Messrs T. Minihan, M. Pedreti, Coghlan and McMahon for a time seriously threatening the residence of Messrs Coghlan and McMahon. It approached very close to Childe's Coomoora Hotel and the property had a narrow escape from destruction. A house occupied by William Maher was with all its contents, destroyed. A subscription to aid the latter has been started with a £2 donation from Mr Childe.

Excitement outside the hotel in September 1914:

On Tuesday evening, a rather exciting bolt occurred at Coomoora. James Yelverton, a well known district waggon driver, left his team of four horses standing in front of Childe's Hotel, when the animals became alarmed, from some cause or other, and bolted. One of the shafters fell down and got out of its harness and clear of the waggon. The other three horses continued their career for some distance before they were captured. Strange to relate, the damage done was of a very trifling nature.</ref>1914 'THE Daylesford Advocate.', Daylesford Advocate, Yandoit, Glenlyon and Eganstown Chronicle (Vic. : 1914 - 1918), 17 September, p. 3. , viewed 19 Dec 2019, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article119528556</ref>

In December 1914, Thomas Canning who rented the hotel stables, was found guilty of stealing hay from a neighbours paddock:

ALLEGED THEFT OF HAY. CAB PROPRIETOR COMMITTED. SUSPENSlON OF SENTENCE. DAYLESFORD. Wednesday. At the local Court of Petty Sessions to-day before Messrs Densen and H. M. S. Cox, J's.P., Thos. Canning, a local cab proprietor, was charged with being in possession of hay believed to have been stolen, the property of Crowley Bros., farmers, Coomoora. Mr R. W. Shellard appeared for the prosecution, and Mr Broomfield for the accused, who pleaded not guilty. D. Crowley gave evidence that he and his brother leased the paddock situated nearly opposite Child's Coomoora hotel, in which wheat was cut for hay. He had not sold any, nor given anyone authority to remove any. The hay was intact on 23rd November. On the 24th he noticed that some had been removed, about 10 to 12 stooks. He traced it across the road to the stable in the hotel yard. Loose hay was strewn about. He saw Canning sweeping up loose hay, and putting it in the stable. He identified the sample, produced as his hay. Constable Strain went to the stable, and found a small quantity of hay on the floor, and about 15 cwt in the loft, which was brought into the police station. To Mr Broomfield — Had known Canning for two or three years. Canning appeared to have been drinking the night before. The hay seemed to have been thrown over the fence, and carted from the road. He had found the accused thoroughly decent and honest. J. Crowley corroborated the above evidence. Richard Childs, licensee of the Coomoora hotel, stated that Canning occupied the stables, and paid rent for them. He had found Canning an honest and straight fellow. On the evening of the 23rd November Canning came out from Daylesford the worse for drink. Constable Strain, in his evidence, stated that the track of hay from the paddock to the stable could be plainly seen. He examined the hay in the paddock and afterwards that in the stable. It was the same class of wheaten hay. The accused said he had bought his hay from a farmer. Witness told him that if he produced a receipt it would clear the matter up. The accused went away to get a receipt, but returned and said he could not put his hand on it, and said it was strange that he could not remember the farmer's name. There was some hay scattered on the floor, and about 15 cwt in the loft. In reply to Mr Broomfield, witness said that a smart criminal would not leave traces as in this case. He had known the accused for seven or eight years, and had never seen anything wrong, except for drink. As far as he knew, the accused was honest. On the 24th November he appeared to be suffering a recovery from drink. To Mr Shellard, witness stated that one man would not remove the quantity of hay in three hours. He thought it had been carried by hand ; there were no traces of cart wheels. He could not see any other hay about the place. The accused, in giving evidence on his own behalf, said he was so muddled with drink that he had only a hazy recollection of the matter. He had told a lie about having bought the hay from a local farmer. He was very sorry and was willing to pay for the hay. He always obtained his chaff from Cowley's. To Mr Shellard, the accused stated that he rented the stables from Childs, who had nothing to do with feeding the horses. Mr Broomfield made an appeal to the bench to treat the accused as a first offender under section 2016 of the Act. Joseph Coakley, manager of the Royal hotelRoyal Hotel (Daylesford) gave evidence as to the accused's good character during the eight years he had known him. The bench, after a retirement, returned into court, and referred to the seriousness of the offence, which should be put down, but taking into consideration the whole of what had been said, they had determined to treat the accused as a first offender, and sentenced him to nine months' imprisonment, the sentence to be suspended on the accused entering into a surety of £50 and another approved of for the same amount, for the accused's good behaviour for 12 months, with £3 2s costs. Mr Childs became surety for Canning.

The hotel was included on a list of hotels considered for closing by the License Reduction Board in February 1915. At the hearings, the publican came into a lot of criticism about the criminal activities of a man living at the hotel:

COOMOORA HOTEL, Mr Bromfield for the owner and licensee Richard R. Childe. At the outset Superintendent Bennett remarked that something had been said at the opening sitting of the Board to the effect that there was nothing to be said against the conduct of any of the hotels listed with the exception of one, and that one they had now come to. The place was a nuisance to neighbors. Not long ago a neighboring farmer was annoyed by someone stealing his hay. The police traced the hay to the hotel, and as a result three convictions were recorded. Mr Bromfield, in reply, stated that the Superintendent had altogether discovered a mare's nest. It had been proved conclusively that there had been no wrong-doing on the part of Childe, and he was completely exonerated. Superintendent Bennett said the place contained 11 rooms, there being two bedrooms for the public. House of wood, in good state of repair, and reasonably furnished. Mrs Childe said trade principally bar and general accommodation. A good stable was on the premises; also a good buggy shed. The sanitary accommodation was good. Did not think the hotel was required, being close to Daylesford, and near to the Farmers' Arms and Wheatsheaf. There appeared to be nothing to be catered for in that locality, and there was nothing favorable to be said concerning the hotel.

Sergeant Myers stated that the hotel was about two miles from Daylesford. The Farmers' Arms Hotel was about a mile and a half away, and the Wheatsheaf about 3 miles...By the Board: Childe has been in possession about three years. There should be a lot more business done by him than by the former licensee, as the latter practically lived privately, and was not patronised by the callers. Elliott's was the carters' house. The hotel is as well-kept now as formerly. The requirements could be met more easily by closing the Coomoora Hotel than by closing the Shepherd's Flat. I think the Coomoora is a busier hotel than the Wheatsheaf. By Superintendent Bennett: Horses can be watered at Tognini's, the Terminus, and Farmers' Arms Hotels, apart from the fountain in Burke Square, before reaching Coomoora. The Farmers' Arms Hotel is a mile and a half from Coomoora. I think there are publicans in Daylesford who would keep Canning on their premises after being convicted. Mr Bromfield said a great deal had been made of Canning's case, which was quite unfair to the licensee, who had tried to give a fallen man a lift. No hotel served the carters better than the one under review. At least 100 families made use of the hotel.

Richard Childe, owner and licensee, stated that he had been nearly three years in occupation of the hotel, with which there were two acres of land. No hotels had been closed along the road since he bought it. He kept books, but estimated his profits at exactly 75 per cent. each year. He did not want to commit perjury over it. His wife kept the books, and in them entered the takings and expenditure. His takings were £635. The Chairman: Well, that is different to what you have supplied on this paper. How do you account for it ? Witness: That was near as I can remember. I gave the figure to Mr Blair from the books, and estimated 75 per cent, on it. By Mr Bromfield: I have spent nearly £300 the premises, by adding air gas machine, bathroom, troughs, buggy shed, fowlhouse, and a glass-washer, besides boarding in the verandah and erecting a windmill. The troughs are largely availed of, and 6-horse teams are watered at them. From 16 to 20 carters and others use the troughs daily. For those reasons the hotel should not be closed. Then, mining was being commenced in the locality again. There was no water between his hotel and Malmsbury in the summer time. If he closed the hotel he could not exist on the store adjoining. The place was used for meeting purposes because there was no hall available. Four leases had been pegged out and men were already working, while the machinery was already on the ground in one instance...By the Board: I was never in the hotel business before. It was the leading wayside hotel in Victoria and he was trying to uphold that reputation. Charles Ellis and several other residents in the locality gave evidence regarding the convenience of the hotel, when the Board reserved its decision.

It was delicensed in 1915, and the court paid £320 compensation. In 1916 a new business, the Coomoora Wine Vault was operated under an Australian Colonial Wine License. It was reviewed in August 1937:

An adjournment was granted in the case of the Coomoora wine licence, to permit the owner (Mr. D. Crowley) to consider the surrendering of the licence.

The owner agreed to surrender the vigernon's license to the License Reduction Board in October 1937.

Community Involvement

Politics

• March 1901, a speech by Nicholas Fitzgerald, M.L.C, a candidate in the first federal election.
• November 1914, a speech by Mr. D. McLeod, a candidate in the state election.
• November 1914, a speech by Mr. Morton Dunlop, a candidate in the state election.

The People

• In May 1865 the publican was James Unsworth Browne.
  • In July 1876 he still held the license.
  • In March 1883, Browne died at the hotel.
• In December 1914 the license was granted to Richard R. Childe for a fee of £27 10s.
  • In March 1915 at License Reduction Board hearings, the publican was Richard R. Childe.
• In December 1915, Nellie Childe was granted a vigernon's license.
• In October 1917 the vigernon's license was transferred from Nellie Childe to Daniel Crowley.
• In October 1937 Daniel Crowley surrendered his vigernon's license.