Trades Union Hotel

Trades Union Hotel

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History
Town	Ballarat
Street	cnr. Sebastopol Street and Drummond Street
Known dates	1888-1920
Demolished	Burned down 10 October 1920
Google maps	-37.5713484,143.8445966

The Trades Union Hotel was a hotel in Ballarat, Victoria, <1888-1920.

Site

In 1909 the hotel was described as being in or near Sebastopol Street, in Ballarat South. The Victorian Electoral Roll places the hotel at 502 Drummond Street South, on the south west corner with Sebastopol Street. Google Map Ref: -37.5713484,143.8445966 The property is now a residential building and no trace of the hotel remains.

Map

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History

In November 1892 a man was fined for his drunken behaviour in the hotel:

A young man named John Brown was charged with insulting behavior. From the evidence of Constable Stallard it appeared that on the previous evening the defendant went into O'Connor's Trades Union hotel, Redan, and ordered drinks, for himself and his mates. As the party were not quite sober, the landlord refused to supply anything stronger than ginger ale. After partaking of the refreshment the defendant refused to pay, and made use of the most disgusting language. Several previous convictions were admitted by the prisoner, who has a most unenviable character. Brown, who pleaded guilty to the charge, asked for one more chance, and stated that he had work to go to. As the defendant had been before the court only a few days previously, when he was bound over to keep the peace, the magistrates refused to accede to his request for leniency, and fined him £2 10s, or one month’s imprisonment.

In October 1904 the publican was charged with breaches of the licensing laws:

Before Messrs Little and Bickett, J's.P. Ellen M'Inerney, licensee of the Trades Union hotel, was prosecuted for selling drink after hours. Evidence was given by Constable Serpell that a child had been seen coming out of the hotel at 11.35 on the night of the 1st inst. Defendant, who pleaded guilty, was fined £2, the minimum penalty.

In October 1912, a woman claimed she was assaulted near the hotel, but the court found her to be unreliable, and dismissed the case:

PECULIAR ASSAULT CASE. ACCUSED GETS THE BENEFIT OF A DOUBT. AN UNSATISFACTORY WITNESS . A charge of assault was heard by the bench at the City Court yesterday against a young man named James Leslie M'Kay, the informant being an elderly woman named Mary Ann Dunn. , The accused was represented by Mr F. D. Mann. The informant, who resides in Ascot street, said that on Monday evening, 7th instant, she went to the Trades Union Hotel to get some brandy for one of her boys, who had influenza. A man, who resembled the accused, was talking to the landlord, Mr Rees, outside the Hotel. Sergt. Nicholson—Didn’t you swear a solemn oath that this man was M'Kay?— He resembled him very much. Didn't you, swear an information against the accused, and identify him before the police?—Yes. Did you go to the police after the arrest and want to withdraw the charge ? Yes. Why did you do that?—On account of his wife and mother. Is that the reason way you want to shield him now?—I don’t want to shield him. The Sergeant, after further cross-examination, asked the bench to treat the witness as hostile. Eventually, however, the witness said she knew the accused well, and had no doubt he was the man whom she saw talking to the licensee. The man followed her along Sebastopol street into Windermere street. There he put his hand over her month, knocked her down on the footpath, and said, "I’ll do for you." She screamed and kicked him and he ran away. She could not say what his object could be in throwing her to the ground, unless he thought she had money. Mr Mann—Are you positive that the man who was talking to Rees was the one who followed you?—Yes. Why did you swear information against M’Kay?—l didn’t know anybody else who resembled him so much. Wm. Rees, licensee of the Trades’ Union, Hotel, Drummond street said he was talking to M'Kay in Sebastopol street, and he told him that he had better go home, because he had had enough drink. M'Kay walked along Sebastopol street. On his way back to the hotel, witness met the woman coming round the corner. M'Kay was going in the same direction as the informant, but he, was about 50 yards ahead of her. Detective-Sergeant Rogerson said that Mrs Dunn told him positively that M'Kay was the man. M'Kay said he did not remember assaulting the woman. The defendant, James Leslie M'Kay, gave evidence that he was at the hotel from about 6 o’clock till 10. After leaving Rees he went along Sebastopol street, and then went straight home. He was certain he did not assault the woman.
After a lengthy deliberation, the bench decided to discharge the accused. The chairman (Mr W. Coltman, J.P.) said there, was a doubt in the minds of the bench, and the accused would get the benefit of it. This verdict was arrived at on account of the prevarication of the witness Dunn, whose evidence was unreliable and was hardly strong enough to warrant a conviction.

In June 1918 the publican was fined for trading in prohibited hours:

A charge of having disposed of liquor after hours to a person other than a bona fide lodger was preferred against William Rees, licensee of the Trades Union Hotel, at the City Court yesterday morning. The defendant pleaded guilty. According to evidence given by Senior-constable Finn, he visited the hotel in company with Constable Blanchfield at 9.20 p.m. on the date mentioned. The private door of the hotel suddenly opened, and a man walked out at the corner of Sebastopol Street. The man had a parcel under his arm. In answer to a question, the man said that the bag contained a little beer, but he did not get it at the hotel. On his producing the bag, it was found to contain a half gallon bottle full of beer. The licensee and the licensee's wife denied having served the man with liquor. Rees told the bench that this was the first occasion he had been brought up before the court during ten years' experience as a licensed victualler. The man came for beer, and the defendant served him. Rees was fined £2. Martin Ryan, who did not appear, was fined the maximum penalty of 40/ for having been on licensed premises during prohibited hours.

The hotel was destroyed by a fire on 10 October 1920:

HOTEL DESTROYED BY FIRE, OLD LANDMARK WIPED OUT. BALLARAT.— The Trades Union Hotel, situated at the intersection of Drummond and Sebastopol streets, Ballarat South, of which Mr. Charles Bryce was the licensee, was destroyed by fire on Sunday afternoon, together with stock, furniture and other contents. The building, which was of wood, contained 11 rooms, and was owned by the Ballarat Brewing Co. A hot northerly wind was blowing at the time of the outbreak, which originated in the kitchen. The hotel, which, with its contents, was insured, was an old landmark in the Redan district.

The hotel owners surrendered the licence in December 1920:

The Licences Reduction Board at a sittings held yesterday accepted the surrender of the licence of the Trades Union Hotel, Drummond-street, Ballarat, and awarded £250 compensation to the owner and £150 to the licensee.

The People

• In March 1888 the license was transferred from James Shiel O'Connor to Hannah O'Connor.
• In December 1895 the license was transferred from Hannah O'Connor to Charles Fitzgerald.
• In October 1904 the publican was Ellen McInerney.
• In November 1905 the license was transferred from Maud McInerney to Annie Fitgerald.
• In June 1909 the publican was Christopher Fitzgerald.
• In Deptember 1912 the publican was William Rees.
• In September 1913 the publican was J. Rees.
• In June 1918 the publican was William Rees, fined for trading in prohibited hours.
• In October 1920 the licensee was Charles Bryce and the hotel was owned by the Ballarat Brewing Company.