Plough and Harrow Hotel

There was also a Plough and Harrow Hotel at Warrenheip

Plough and Harrow Hotel

1909, Ballarat Historical Society
History
Town	Ballarat
Street	Mair Street
Known dates	1863-1956
Other names	Foley's Hotel

The Plough and Harrow Hotel was a hotel in Ballarat, Victoria, <1863-1956>.

Site

The Plough and Harrow Hotel was in Market Square. In 1915 the address is given as Mair Street. In the 1903 Electoral Roll the address is given as 93 Mair Street. The Victorian Post Office Directory has 89 Mair Street in 1888 - south side, between Camp and Doveton Street and 311 Mair Street between Armstrong and Doveton Streets in 1910.

Map

Loading map...

{"minzoom":false,"maxzoom":false,"mappingservice":"leaflet","width":"600px","height":"300px","centre":false,"title":"","label":"","icon":"","lines":[],"polygons":[],"circles":[],"rectangles":[],"copycoords":false,"static":false,"zoom":false,"defzoom":14,"layers":["OpenStreetMap"],"image layers":[],"overlays":[],"resizable":false,"fullscreen":false,"scrollwheelzoom":true,"cluster":false,"clustermaxzoom":20,"clusterzoomonclick":true,"clustermaxradius":80,"clusterspiderfy":true,"geojson":"","clicktarget":"","imageLayers":[],"locations":[{"text":"","title":"","link":"","lat":-37.55963888888889,"lon":143.85602777777777,"icon":""}],"imageoverlays":null}

Background

Also referred to in 1869 as Foley's Hotel.

History

In December 1864 a man was arrested for trying to stab the publican:

A drunken man, named Curtin, was arrested and lodged in the Western lockup, yesterday, charged with having attempted to stab Mr Foley, of the Plough and Harrow Hotel, in Mair street. The man will be brought up at the District Police Court this morning.

In January 1903 there was a fight at the hotel, which resulted in the death of the publican. A later inquest decided the cause of death was his falling down the stairs, and that no one was to blame.

Result of a Drunken Brawl. DEATH OF A BALLARAT HOTEL-KEEPER.

Joseph Stallard, licensee of the Plough and Harrow Hotel, Ballarat West, who early on Thursday morning sustained concussion of the brain and compression of the skull, in his hotel, after a quarrel, died on Friday, without having regained consciousness. Deceased, who had been very quarrelsome, was twice assaulted by one of his customers. He was knocked down by one of the blows, and evidently stunned, but on recovering be again challenged his assailant to fight. Notwithstanding that it was approaching dawn, there were several men in the hotel to witness the scrimmage, which occurred while the company were engaged in throwing dice for drinks. There was also gambling going on. The police have been furnished with in formation which shows that some of the gamblers were not sober. The man who, it is alleged, assaulted Stallard, is an employee in the local railway department, but it is said to be tolerably certain that the fatal injuries wore caused by Stallard's falling downstairs from the second landing subsequent to his being knocked down by a man in the bar parlor. An inquest will be held.

Two men were arrested and charged following two hotel robberies in April 1915:

Although nothing has been heard from the police concerning the midnight entry into the City Fire Brigade hotel on 29th April, P.C. Consts Craig and Morgan have been quietly at work. In the midst of their enquiries they learned that the till at the Plough and Harrow hotel had been robbed on Monday night, the sum of 20/ being taken. Late yesterday afternoon the officers named arrested Edward Richards, alias Walker Rowe, aged 40 years, and Harold Farekens, aged 20 years. Richards will be charged "that being a known and reputed thief he did loiter in a public place with intent to commit a felony;" and the charge entered against Farekens is "that being a suspected person he did loiter in a public place, to wit the bar of the Plough and Harrow hotel." Richards was then confronted with certain members of the City Fire Brigade, who identified him as the man whom they saw emerge from the rear of the City Fire Brigade hotel on the night of 29th April, and ran away after the alarm had been raised. The charge of having entered the hotel with intent to commit a burglary has also been preferred against him, and in all probability Farekens will also be proceeded against in connection with the affair.

In November 1917 the licensee's application for a renewal was opposed by the police after a "secret service" operation:

OPPOSED LICENSE PLOUGH AND HARROW HOTEL. EVIDENCE BY SECRET POLICE. At the annual sittings of the Licensing Court at Ballarat to-day (Messrs J. Barr and E. Lock ,adjudicating) the application of Catherine Jones, licensee of the Plough and Harrow Hotel, was among those objected to. Sub-inspector Nicholson, as licensing inspector opposed the application on the ground that betting was permitted on the premises. Mr J. M. Kirkpatrick appeared for the licensee. Detective-sergeant Rogerson said he had frequently seen men in the hotel on race days, and a well-known bookmaker in the vicinity as well as inside the hotel. Plain-clothes Constable Craig ,said he had seen men whom he considered were betting men on the premises on race days. Henry Albert Bradby stated that at 2.50 p.m., on October 6 he visited the hotel. He went into the bar, and then with another man went into a room at the back, where there were eight or ten men. One of these had a black covered notebook in his hand, which he put in his pocket on witness's entrance. The man then approached witness and asked him if he was with the other man with whom he had entered the room. Witness replied "Yes ; why ?" The man then said they had to be careful of strangers. One man then went up to the man, and witness heard him say, "Half a crown on Fitness and half a crown on King of the Seas." At the same time the man handed over 5s, which the other put in his pocket and made an entry in his notebook. The man who had first spoken to him then asked the other man who had gone into the room, if he was with witness, and he replied that he was. Witness remained in the room about 15 minutes. Mr Nicholson—Would you know this man ? Witness—Yes, I think I would. Mr Nicholson then applied to have the name of the witness called, whom the inspector informed the court had been subpoenaed. There was no response when the name was called, and Mr Nicholson asked the court to deal with the matter. Under cross-examination by Mr Kirkpatrick the witness Bradby said he had been sworn in as a constable of police. He was neither a uniform or plain-clothes constable, but was attached to the "secret service." Edward James M'Donald, constable stationed at the police depot, Melbourne, said he visited the hotel at 3.10 p.m. on October 6. In a room at the rear of the bar there was a man who had a black covered notebook and a newspaper. Another man approached this one and witness heard him say, "This is for Pinon." Another man said, "2s 6d Booligal." The man wrote in his notebook. Six other men went up and handed the man money. The licensee was going in and out of the room at the time. To Mr Kirkpatrick—Witness was a constable in the "secret service" branch. After further evidence had been tendered the renewal was granted.

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. The Ballarat West licensing district hearings on this list were to be held on 27 April. The hotel kept its license.

In March 1920 the hotel was again included on a list of hotels to be closed by the Licenses Reduction Board which held its hearings in the Ballarat Supreme Court:

Mr J. B. Pearson appeared for the owner and licensee of the Plough and Harrow Hotel, in Mair street, opposite the hay market. Senior-Constable Paige deposed that the Plough and Harrow Hotel was a two-storey brick building containing 23 rooms, and ten bedrooms were available for public use. The house was well furnished and well kept. Catherine Jones had been the licensee for many years, and had always conducted the place well. He believed that the Plough and Harrow and all the surrounding hotels were required. He considered the Carriers’ Arms Hotel to be weaker than the Plough and Harrow Hotel. Mr Pearson said he desired to call two police, sergeants, to support the retention of the Plough and Harrow Hotel. Sergeant Neill said he looked upon the Plough and Harrow Hotel as a very good business place, and he thought it was required. The hotel was in a good locality, and was admirably conducted. He would not close any hotel that had reasonable accommodation. To Inspector Robinson—If it were compulsory to close a hotel in the market section he would close the Carriers’ Arms. Sergeant-Detective Rogerson said he agreed thoroughly with the evidence tendered by the last witness. Mrs Jones went out of her way to cater for the public, and she was one of the few to do it. Mr Lock.—If the licensees in the market section will cater for the public the demand is there for it?—Yes If you had to select one hotel in this locality for closing, which one would it be— The Carriers’ Arms.

The hotel was one of 23 hotels reviewed by the License Deprivation Board in Ballarat in 1922.

In 1923 a man was charged with having tried to pass a forged cheque at the hotel.

In December 1925 the publican, William O'Callaghan, was charged with trading after hours:

A rehearing was given to bar door and lodgers' book charges recently preferred against William O'Callaghan, licensee of the Plough and Harrow Hotel, Mair street. Mr. D. Clarke appeared for defendant. Senior Constable Day related a visit to the hotel at 3 a.m. on 2nd November, when he found defendant and three other men in the bar. The excuse advanced was that the men had arrived from Watchem by car. A fine of £7 was imposed. Two men were fined £1 each. On Mr. Clarke pointing out that errors in the lodgers' book were only technical this charge was withdrawn.

In May 1935 the publican was charged:

A charge against Charlotte Morrow, licensee of the Plough and Harrow Hotel, of having permitted unauthorised persons to be on the premises on April 14 was dismissed.

In June 1936 the publican was fined:

Charlotte Morrow, licensee of the Plough and Harrow Hotel, was fined £2 for disposal, and 5/ for permitting persons on the premises after hours on 15th May. One man was lined £1.

In July 1936 the publican was charged with breaching licensing laws, but was acquitted in court:

Charlotte Morrow licensee of the Plough and Harrow Hotel was charged in the city court on Tuesday with having disposed of liquor unlawfully on Sunday July 19. The charge was dismissed. A second charge of having permitted unauthorised persons on the premises was withdrawn.

The hotel was one of six hotels whose licenses were challenged by the police at the Licensing Court 1956 hearings in 1956. They claimed the hotel was not in a fit or proper condition to be a licensed premises:

He had inspected the Plough and Harrow Hotel on January 13 and it "looked just like Kirk's Horse Bazaar. The rooms are dirty and all cluttered up. The place is a disgrace, the kitchen is smaller than one in a private home," Judge Fraser added. He adjourned the application until March 14 to get a "constructive and concrete" plan of the proposed repairs to the hotel.

The People

Publicans

• From <1863-1866> the publican was Timothy Foley.
• In December 1873 the license was granted to Thomas Maher.
  • His license was renewed in December 1875.
• In 1888 the publican was P. J. Slattery.
• In December 1893 the license was transferred from Honorah Lynch to Catherine McDermott.
• In January 1903, the publican was Joseph Stallard. Stallard was killed in a fight at the hotel.
• In 1903 Jane Mason Stallard became publican after her husband's death.
• In May 1903 the license was transferred from Jane M. Stallard to Daniel Quinn.
• In May 1904 the license was transferred from Daniel Quinn to Margaret Quinn.
• In August 1905 the license was transferred from Mary Quinn to Mary Moroney.
• In 1910 and May 1915 the publican was Catherine Jones and the owner Mr. Whelan.
  • In November 1917 the police opposed a license renewal for Catherine Jones.
  • In March 1920 the licensee was Catherine Jones.
• In July 1923 the publican was F. Fiscalini
• In December 1925 the publican was William O'Callaghan.
• In December 1929 the license was transferred from J. C. Tranter to Anne Moloney.
• In February 1934 the license was transferred from Renee Maloney to Charlotte Morrow.
• In May 1935 and June 1936 the publican was Charlotte Morrow. Morrow was fined for breaches of the licensing laws.
• In November 1936 the license was transferred from Charlotte Morrow to Thomas J. Bond.
• In March 1939 the license was transferred from Valmai Beatrice Beseler to Veronica Millington.
• In October 1939 the licensee, Veronica Millington, was charged for breaches of the licensing laws:

Veronica Millington, licensee of the Plough and Harrow Hotel, was fined £5 in the city Court for having had the bar door open after hours on September 15.

Others

• In 1919, Norman Chisholm, farmer, was living at the hotel.