Royal Mail Hotel (Blackwood)

From Hotels of Ballarat
For other hotels with the same or similar names see Royal Mail Hotel.
Royal Mail Hotel
Royal Mail Hotel, 1961[1]
History
Town Golden Point, Blackwood
Closed 1913
Known dates 1864-1913
Demolished 1982
Google maps -37.473196, 144.317241

The Royal Mail Hotel was a hotel in Blackwood, Victoria, <1864-1913.

Site[edit | edit source]

The hotel was in Blackwood[2], at Golden Point.[3] Now known as 100 Golden Point Road, Blackwood.[4]

Map[edit | edit source]

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Background[edit | edit source]

History[edit | edit source]

In June 1864 the hotel was described as having two sitting rooms and three bedrooms.[5]

In July 1871 there was a fight at the hotel:

"...E. M. Cairnes: On the 10th inst. went into Cann's Hotel. Immediately I got in a fight commenced. (Constable) McBride went to separate Duncan and the shoemaker. Saw Miller kick M'Bride. Saw M'Kinnon seize McBride by the throat ; he half choked him. Saw Wilson, Duncan, and Miller, strike McBride. M'Kinnon shoved his hand in my face. I went to the Camp for Constables Kiernan and Deegan. Miller and Duncan were very drunk. M'Kinnon was the most sober.[6]

In June 1879 an attempt was made to burn the hotel down:

As Constable Stewart was passing the Royal Mail Hotel, Golden Point, on Thursday night, the 10th, he noticed a light in a small room adjoining the store and billiard room. Observing it increasing he went to the back of the premises (as Mr. M'Lellan and family were all in bed) and aroused them. Mr. M'Lellan immediately went to the room and found a deal box (in which some carpenters' tools were kept) in flames, but the fire had not taken hold upon the building; if it had nothing either in the store or hotel could have been saved. There was a case or two of kerosene in the room at the time, which is used as a store room. I hear that a ball of rags saturated with kerosene was found near the box, partially burnt, and it is strongly suspected to be the work of an incendiary, this being the second attempt of the same kind. If there is any foul play it is to be hoped that the perpetrators may be found out.[7]

In December 1887, McLellan advertised his intention to renew his license:

Notice of Application for Renewal of a Victualler's License. I COLIN M'LELLAN, Golden Point, Blackwood, in the Colony of Victoria, the holder of a VICTUALLER'S LICENSE for "The Royal Mail Hotel," at Golden Point aforesaid, do hereby give notice that I desire to obtain and will at the sitting of the Licensing Court for the Licensing Districts of Ballan North, South Ballan, Egerton, and Blackwood, to be holden at Ballan on the 23rd day of December, 1887, apply for a Certificate authorising the renewal of my said license. Dated the Thirtieth day of November, One thousand Eight hundred and Eighty seven. COLIN M'LELLAN.[8]

In January 1892 the hotel lost its license for a few days:

Through some hitch by non payment of the license of the Royal Mail Hotel, Golden Point, the license lapsed, and the hotel was closed for three days. It appears, from some law which I cannot explain, Mrs. L. Cotton was allowed to take up the lapsed license, so the hotel is now open once more.[9]
Royal Mail Hotel, 1960s

In April 1897, a new owner added a billiard table:

MR. W. BYRES, the new landlord of the Royal Mail hotel at Golden Point, has apparently considerable faith that Blackwood is far from being on the down grade of prosperity, as he has added to his establishment one of Thompson's new Excelsior low cushion billiard tables, with fittings complete. As this is the first new table that has been set up here for many years, local cueists are having a great innings, though there are no jubilee breaks as yet.[10]

Byres quickly capitalized on his new table by organizing exhibition matches:

THE exhibition of billiard play by Messrs. Memmott and Weiss at the Royal Mail hotel, Golden Point, on Wednesday, 19th inst., proved very interesting, and the skill shown in bringing the balls into position was quite a revelation to most of the local players. Two games of 500 up were played, the first spot barred, and the second all in; the first game being won by Weiss, and the second by Memmott...In the interval between the two games a number of skillful fancy strokes were shown.[11]

In January 1905, Byres provided a dinner for the visiting members of the St.Kilda riflemen's club who won the days competition.[12]

The hotel was closed by the License Reduction Board in 1913; the owner received £175 compensation, licensee, no claim.[13]

A large section of the hotel was demolished in the 1980s. The surviving part of the building was offered for sale in 2018 for $340,000.[14]

Royal Mail Hotel, Blackwood, 2018

Community Involvement[edit | edit source]

The People[edit | edit source]

  • In June 1864 the licensee and owner was James Millyard.[5]
  • In July 1871 the publican was Cann.[6]
  • In December 1874, the license was granted to John Cann.[15]
  • In December 1876, 1877, 1879, 1880, 1881, 1886, and 1887, the license was granted to Colin McLellan.[16][2][17][18][19][8] In December 1886, he paid £45 for the hotel license.[20] He was still the publican at the time of his death in July 1889.[3]
  • In June 1889, C. McLellan was granted permission to takeover the license for two months during his father's absence.[21]
  • In December 1889 the license was granted to Colin Fletcher McLellan.[22]
  • In January 1892 the license was held by Mrs. L. Cotton.[9]
  • In February 1893 the license was transferred from F. L. Cotton to M. Lenihan.[23]
  • In April 1897, the publican was W. Byres.[10] He was still listed as licensee in 1908[24]
  • In August 1913 the licensee and owner was Mrs. A. Byers.[25]

See also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. J.T. Collins Collection, La Trobe Picture Collection, State Library of Victoria.
  2. 2.0 2.1 1877 'BLACKWOOD.', The Ballarat Courier (Vic. : 1869 - 1880; 1914 - 1918), 22 December, p. 4. , viewed 20 Dec 2017, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article211540400
  3. 3.0 3.1 1889 'BLACKWOOD.', The Bacchus Marsh Express (Vic. : 1866 - 1918), 27 July, p. 7. , viewed 20 Dec 2017, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article89685160
  4. View, Real Estate, https://www.realestateview.com.au/real-estate/100-104-golden-point-road-blackwood-vic/property-details-buy-residential-11423012/#
  5. 5.0 5.1 1864, COURT- BLACKWOOD, The Age, 23 June 1864, pg. 8, https://www.newspapers.com/image/123474155/
  6. 6.0 6.1 1871 'BLACKWOOD.', The Bacchus Marsh Express (Vic. : 1866 - 1918), 8 July, p. 3. , viewed 22 Dec 2017, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article89699874
  7. 1879 'BLACKWOOD.', The Bacchus Marsh Express (Vic. : 1866 - 1918), 28 June, p. 3. , viewed 02 Jan 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article89702754
  8. 8.0 8.1 1887 'Advertising', The Bacchus Marsh Express (Vic. : 1866 - 1918), 3 December, p. 2. , viewed 04 Jan 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article89683779
  9. 9.0 9.1 1892 'BLACKWOOD.', The Bacchus Marsh Express (Vic. : 1866 - 1918), 16 January, p. 3. , viewed 01 Jan 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article89282095
  10. 10.0 10.1 1897 'BLACKWOOD.', The Bacchus Marsh Express (Vic. : 1866 - 1918), 17 April, p. 3. , viewed 24 Dec 2017, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article88346636
  11. 1897 'BLACKWOOD.', The Bacchus Marsh Express (Vic. : 1866 - 1918), 29 May, p. 3. , viewed 24 Dec 2017, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article88344570
  12. 1905 'BLACKWOOD.', The Bacchus Marsh Express (Vic. : 1866 - 1918), 7 January, p. 3. , viewed 24 Dec 2017, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article90167671
  13. 1913 'LICENCES REDUCTION BOARD.', The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), 23 August, p. 13. , viewed 21 Dec 2017, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article197482570
  14. http://100--104-golden-point-road-blackwood.fnebooks.com
  15. 1874 'BLACKWOOD.', The Bacchus Marsh Express (Vic. : 1866 - 1918), 26 December, p. 3. , viewed 29 Dec 2017, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article93141260
  16. 1876 'BLACKWOOD.', The Ballarat Courier (Vic. : 1869 - 1880; 1914 - 1918), 18 December, p. 3. , viewed 20 Dec 2017, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article207826718
  17. 1879 'BLACKWOOD.', The Bacchus Marsh Express (Vic. : 1866 - 1918), 20 December, p. 3. , viewed 01 Jan 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article89702259
  18. 1880 'POLICE.', The Ballarat Star (Vic. : 1865 - 1924), 18 December, p. 3. , viewed 23 Dec 2017, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article200653096
  19. 1881 'TOWN COURT.', The Ballarat Star (Vic. : 1865 - 1924), 17 December, p. 4. , viewed 23 Dec 2017, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article202597624
  20. 1886 'LICENSING COURT.', The Kyneton Observer (Vic. : 1856 - 1900), 25 December, p. 2. , viewed 22 Dec 2017, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article240856322
  21. 1889 'BALLAN.', The Bacchus Marsh Express (Vic. : 1866 - 1918), 1 June, p. 3. , viewed 23 Dec 2017, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article89683437
  22. 1889 'BALLAN.', The Ballarat Star (Vic. : 1865 - 1924), 25 December, p. 4. , viewed 06 Apr 2019, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article209577424
  23. 1893 'BALLAN.', The Bacchus Marsh Express (Vic. : 1866 - 1918), 25 February, p. 3. , viewed 06 Jan 2019, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article88191930
  24. Australian Electoral Roll, Victoria, 1913, Corio, Blackwood
  25. 1913 'THE LICENSING ACT.', The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), 22 August, p. 7. , viewed 05 Mar 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article7278289


External Links[edit | edit source]