Cosmopolitan Hotel (Corindhap)

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

Cosmopolitan Hotel

Oddfellows Hall, 1908, on the hotel site
History
Town	Corindhap
Known dates	1867-1869

The Cosmopolitan Hotel was a hotel at Break o'Day, later Corindhap, Victoria, <1867-1869>.

Site

The hotel was at Break o'Day, later renamed Corindhap. In March 1908 the Australasian identified the site as south of the Commercial Hotel, and in 1908 the site of the Oddfellows Hall.

Map

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History

The hotel became famous in May 1867, after the publican, George Searle, robbed a bank clerk, James Burke, carrying gold back to Smythesdale. Burke was shot dead during the robbery, and Searle and his accomplice hid the stolen gold under the brick floor of the kitchen attached to the hotel.

The hotel was sold soon after the murder:

The Cosmopolitan Hotel, recently in the occupation of Searle at Break o' Day, was sold during last week by order of the mortgagee, and realised £100.

The Cosmopolitan Hotel, Break-o'-Day, recently occupied by George Searle, one of the Pigoreet murderers, was sold by auction, on Thursday week. Mr Tull, the mortgagee, bought the house and the greater part of the furniture, much of which brought good prices. The house was sold for £100, a sum considerably under its value.

In January 1869, 18 windows were smashed at the hotel during a hailstorm.

The hotel was offered for sale in December 1869:

FOR SALE, that large and commodious HOTEL, situated at Break o' Day, and known as the COSMOPOLITAN, doing a large and lucrative business, with every accommodation for enlarging the same, including one of Alcock's best Billiard-tables complete. For further particulars, apply to Hugh Smith, Break o' Day.

In December 1881, J. E. Cavern applied to remove the license from the Corindhap Hotel and move it to this hotel. The application was refused as the court had not been given enough notice, and the hotel building was described as being dilapidated.

Community Involvement

In June 1868, the hotel was the venue for the opening of a new lodge for the Ancient Order of Foresters, and a sumptuous banquet followed the meeting.

The People

• In 1867 the publican was George Searle, executed for the murder of James Burke.
• From June 1867 to at least January 1869 the publican was named Hugh Smith.