Surrey Hotel

From Hotels of Ballarat
Surrey Hotel
Picture needed
History
Town Ballarat
Street Cnr Mair and Drummond Streets
Opened 19 June 1908
Closed 1920
Other names City of London Hotel
Evidence Building still standing

The Surrey Hotel was a hotel in Ballarat, Victoria, 1908 - 1920.

Site[edit | edit source]

The hotel was on the corner of Drummond Street and Mair Street.[1]

Map[edit | edit source]

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Background[edit | edit source]

History[edit | edit source]

In February 1911 a robbery at the hotel was reported:

HOTEL ROBBERY AT BALLARAT. Ballarat, 12th February. A robbery was committed at the Surrey Hotel, at the comer of Mair and Drummond streets, during night. The licensee (Mrs. Guelpa) this morning found that £17 in money had been stolen.[2]

In November 1914, charges against a man for breaking a window at the hotel were dismissed by the court:

The case against Harry Nunn Wesson, who was charged with wilfully breaking a pane of glass at the Surrey Hotel on 20th October, was re-heard at the City Police Court on Wednesday, when it was first heard the Bench was unable to agree. After hearing the evidence on Wednesday, Messrs. A. M. Greenfield and J. Blight, J's.P., found that the charge was not proved. The Chairman added that he thought perjury had been committed by one side or the other with regard to the conversation Miss Short alleged she had with the defendant.[3]

In March 1920 the hotel was included on a list of hotels to be possibly closed by the Licenses Reduction Board which met at the Ballarat Supreme Court:

The owner and licensee of the Surrey Hotel were represented by Mr J. B. Pearson. Senior-constable Paige said the Surrey Hotel was at the comer of Mair and Drummond streets. The building was a two-storey one containing 13 rooms, including three bedrooms for public use. The place was well furnished, and well kept. There was one conviction against the present licensee, otherwise the hotel was well conducted. He did not think that the closing of this hotel would cause any inconvenience. Constable Daniels gave corroborative evidence. Mrs Braybrook, licensee of the Surrey Hotel, said the public uses about five beds per week and about ten meals in the same period.[4]


The hotel was formerly known as the City of London Hotel. The hotel was passed in at auction in November 1920 for £775, one of six de-licensed hotels sold by the Ballarat Brewing Company.[1]



Community Involvement[edit | edit source]

The People[edit | edit source]


See also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1920 'DELICENSED HOTELS SOLD.', The Horsham Times (Vic. : 1882 - 1954), 26 November, p. 8, viewed 4 May, 2015, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article73179930
  2. 1911 'HOTEL ROBBERY AT BALLARAT.', Bendigo Advertiser (Vic. : 1855 - 1918), 13 February, p. 5. , viewed 14 May 2020, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article89835262
  3. 1914 'BALLARAT.', Camperdown Chronicle (Vic. : 1877 - 1954), 21 November, p. 4. , viewed 14 May 2020, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article26129645
  4. 4.0 4.1 1920 'LICENSES REDUCTION BOARD.', The Ballarat Star (Vic. : 1865 - 1924), 23 March, p. 3. , viewed 17 Jun 2019, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article212060416
  5. Sands & McDougall, McDougall's Melbourne, suburban and country directory : 1910, pg. 1937, http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/404444


External Links[edit | edit source]