Shepherd's Flat Hotel

Shepherd's Flat Hotel

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History
Town	Shepherd's Flat
Known dates	1885-1915

The Shepherd's Flat Hotel was a hotel at Shepherd's Flat, Victoria, <1885-1915>.

Site

The hotel was at Shepherd's Flat, north of Hepburn.

History

The hotel was one of several in the area threatened with closure in 1915. In March 1915 a hearing into the hotel was held by the License Reduction Board:

SHEPHERD'S FLAT HOTEL. Mr Thwaites (Castlemaine) for the owners George Peckingsale and Sons and the licensee Mrs Louisa Henderson. Superintendent Bennett said the hotel contained 11 rooms, of which there were five bedrooms for the public. It was of wood, and very old. There was a four-stall stable that appeared to be very little used. The house was furnished equal to requirements, but the sanitation was poor. By Mr Thwaites: The sanitary accommodation had been improved. The licensee generally attended to anything in reason. The place is always clean and tidy.

Constable Strain said the trade consisted of a local, travelling, and tourist nature. Within a radius of two miles there would be about 50 residences. There was mining going on around the creeks by fossickers who were able to work. By Mr Thwaites: The hotel is on the main coach road, which is much more used than the Dry Digging's road, Mr. McKinnon's estimate of 200 would take in Rolleri's and the houses at Spring Creek, where the greater, portion of the people are. There are only about twenty houses in Old Hepburn, within a mile radius, leaving out Spring Creek. In my estimate of 50 houses around Shepherd's Flat included Basalt and Boots Gully, from where there is a road carrying much traffic. If the Lithia Spring water is piped to the main road, as was proposed some years ago, it will be within 30 or 40 chains of Henderson's Hotel. He favored this hotel in preference to the Old Racecourse as a convenience to the public generally. I think the closing of Henderson's would cause more in convenience than the closing of the Coomoora Hotel. By the Board: The building is pretty old, but conveniently designed, the rooms being a nice size. I have seen as many as eight tourists there at a time. The Chairman: I might say that we have inspected the place, and do not think it conveniently designed for the use of tourists. Mr Thwaites said he would admit the hotel was very old, it having been in the Henderson family for 30 years. The present tenancy is based on the understanding that so long as Mrs Henderson pays the rent she will never be disturbed. A moderate tourist trade was done. If the house were delicensed it would mean the elimination of the store and post office.

John R. Beckingsale said Mr David Henderson was owner and licensee for twenty years or more. The house had been painted within the last three years, but nothing had been done inside. If things were better than now it would be a fair proposition to rebuild in the future. The Chairman: Both the Coomoora Hotel and the Old Racecourse Hotel do more trade and are certainly better buildings than yours. That is two factors, out of the three we look to, against you. The only thing in your favor is position and convenience.

Mrs Henderson, the licensee, said she and her husband had been licensees for thirty years. There was a lot of traffic: along the road, from which a fair amount of trade came to the hotel. The hotel, store and post office were one, and the telephone was just being installed. The Basalt, Boots Gully and local people patronised the store. Last Christmas she had 14 tourists, and the year before 30. Many of them were in tents. She served casual meals all the year round, and now had one boarder. She considered her bar profit from 70 to 80 per cent. She kept no banking account, paying everything in cash. The store and bar takings were mixed. The Lithia Spring was about a mile away. She thought there was more settlement around her place than the Old Racecourse Hotel. There was a billiard table at the hotel, where tournaments were played in the winter. Cricket was played close to the hotel.

Francis Robertson, President of the Shire of Mount Franklin, stated that the Old Racecourse Hotel did not serve such a large community as Henderson's. He thought if ether hotel should go it should be the Old Racecourse. After further evidence had been given the Board reserved its decision.

Community Involvement

Politics

• November 1914, speech by Mr Morton Dunlop, a candidate in the state election.

The People

• In December 1914 the license was granted to Ellen Louisa Henderson for a fee of £40.
  • In March 1915 at the License Reduction Board hearings the publican was Ellen Louisa Henderson.
  • Her license was renewed in December 1915.