Hotels, Pubs and Inns of Harden Murrumburrah

Harden Murrumburrah: Aboriginal heritage | Cinema / Picture Theatres | Council Chambers | Fossil animals | Flying into Harden 1914 | Historic Buildings | Hotels, Pubs & Inns | McMahon's Reef Goldfield | Postal Services | Sheep |

View of Murrumburrah 1880, Murrumburrah Signal and County of Harden Advocate, 18 November 1937. Five hotels are included, or mentioned, in the scene - the Criterion, Commercial, Exchange, Telegraph and Shamrock.

The consumption of alcohol, and the need for temporary accommodation on the part of travelers, itinerant workers and the homeless, has been an integral part of the development of Australia since the arrival of non-Indigenous peoples with the First Fleet in 1788. I know, because my uncle was one such person who, following his return from service in Japan during World War II wherein he developed an addiction to saki, went on to live out the rest of his life in a pub in Wollongong. As a result of this need, and other social utility, the history of development across the nation is often associated with the erection of inns, hotels and "pubs" where populations arose or people passed through. Up until the 1960s, pubs were often the focal centre of towns, where people of all ages and standing would meet and socialize. Thereafter, however, they were increasingly replaced by members-only clubs (e.g. bowling, RSL, Workers, ethnic etc.) and in-home entertainment such as television and the internet. The twin towns of Harden and Murrumburrah in the central western slopes of New South Wales are no exception. Harden railway station, for example, from the 1880s through to the 1930s was an important junction on the Sydney to Melbourne line and various south-western region branch lines. Hundreds of railway workers were based there, and travellers would stop there overnight on route. Hotels such as the Doncaster and Carrington, located adjacent to the railway station, would accommodate both workers and travellers, with the latter often in shifts.

All of this, and more, is revealed in Robyn Atherton's Pubs, Publicans & People: A Catalogue of Hotels in the History of Harden Shire, published by the author and Harden Murrumburrah Historical Society in 2015. Therein we find detailed references to buildings, owners, licensee holder and events dating from the earliest days of European settlement in the 1840s and through to the 1960s. With name changes common for the various hotels and inns, along with closures, re-openings, fires and redevelopments in the form of extensions, it is easy to become confused when trying to connect surviving buildings with the history of the structures and sites. Whilst there were at various stages at least fourteen different hotels and inns in Harden and Murrumburrah, as of 2021 only a single, operating establishment exists in either town - the Light Horse Hotel in Murrumburrah and the Carrington Hotel in Harden - whilst the Harden IGA supermarket caters to the ongoing market for alcoholic beverages - a business formerly the purvue of the pubs. Of the fourteen - fifteen if you include the famous Bar at Harden railway station - some seven have been demolished or destroyed by fire, whilst others have been renovated to such a degree as to have no obvious link with their original form. And whilst the Harden railway station remain, though it is no longer staffed, the bar has been removed in all its glory to the Harden Murrumburrah Museum, located in the old School of Arts building on Albury Street. Those licensed premises which have survived have, in most cases, lost their picturesque and charming wooden and iron lacework verandahs, due to local Council directives during the late 1960s. 

This blog is a quick guide to the pubs and inns of Harden and Murrumburrah. It derives its information primarily from Robyn Atherton's book and connects it, where possible, with present day locations, thereby assisting those interested in this aspect of local and family history. It is arranged alphabetically according to the name of the hotel / inn / motel, whilst a summary chronology is also included. 

Chronology

This chronology is a very brief summary, with more detailed descriptions following below. All buildings survive in original or renovated form unless otherwise indicated. Dates of operation are approximate only, with a number open through to circa 2010 as hotels and/or backpacker accommodation, prior to being mothballed as private residences.

1856

Whitehorse Inn, located on the approximate corner of Binalong and Iris streets, Murrumburrah - 1856 to 1857. Demolished 1948.

1860

Traveller's Rest Inn / Hotel, Neill Street, Murrumburrah - 1860 to 1867+.

Criterion Hotel, Albury Street, Murrumburrah - 1860 to 1955. Converted to apartments circa 1970. Demolished 1972.

1861

Commercial Hotel / Light Horse Hotel, Albury Street, Murrumburrah - 1861 to Present.

1865

Murrumburrah Hotel / Exchange Hotel, Albury Street, Murrumburrah - 1865 to 1969.

1874

Railway Inn / Railway Hotel / Albion Hotel, Neill and Bathurst Streets, Murrumburrah - 1874 to 1918.  Destroyed by fire 1918.

1875

Crown Inn / Federal Hotel / Royal Hotel, Neill Street, Harden - 1900 to circa 2010. Operated as a hotel and later backpacker accommodation.

1878

Railway Hotel / Carrington Hotel, Neill Street, Harden - 1878 to Present.

Shamrock Hotel, Albury Street, Murrumburrah - 1878 to 1892. Destroyed by fire 1899.

1879

Doncaster Hotel, Neill Street, Harden - 1879 to circa 2010.

1880

Telegraph Hotel, Albury Street, Murrumburrah - 1880 to 1925. Destroyed by fire 1927.

1883

Commercial Hotel, Neill Street, Harden - 1883 to 1960s. Demolished in 1969.

1884

The Australian, Harden - 1884. Location unknown; fate unknown.

1914

Grand Hotel, Neill Street, Harden - 1914 to circa 2010. Operated as hotel and later backpacker accommodation.

1964

Harden Motel, Burley Griffin Way, Harden - 1964 to Present. 

----------------------------

Brief description of hotels, inns and motel

* Albion Hotel, located on the north-western corner of Neill and Bathurst Streets, Murrumburrah - 1874 to 1918. Initially known as the Railway Inn / Railway Hotel (1874-1906). Destroyed by fire in 1918. The bricks from the hotel were used to erect three residences on site. Located adjacent to (on the south side of) the former Murrumburrah railway station platform.

* The Australian, Harden - 1882. Location unknown.

* Carrington Hotel, 1 Neill Street, Harden - 1878 to Present. Located at the eastern end of Neill Street, next to Harden railway station and on the western side of the road. Possibly known as the Railway Hotel when the Railway Inn at Murrumburrah was also in existence. The original Carrington burnt down in April 1893 and was rebuilt the same year (HMHS Bulletin no.54). Currently (2021) the only hotel operating in Harden.

Carrington Hotel livery stables, Neill Street, Harden, circa 1890s. Source: Harden Murrumburrah Historical Society HO31.

 

 

Carrington Hotel, Neill Street, Harden, circa 1906. Source: Harden Murrumburrah Historical Society HO16.

'Kelly's' Carrington Hotel, Neill Street, Harden, circa 1920s. Source: Harden Murrumburrah Historical Society HO16.

* Commercial Hotel, Neill Street, Harden - 1883 to 1960s. Demolished 1969. Site of the present Harden Shire Council Offices which opened in 1975. 

Commercial Hotel, Neill Street, Harden, circa 1969. Source: Harden Murrumburrah Historical Society HO15.

* Commercial Hotel, 337-341 Albury Street, Murrumburrah - 1861 to Present. Subject to numerous alterations and extensions, with a second storey added in 1892. Renamed the Light Horse Hotel in 2015. Located opposite the T. & G. Barnes stores.

Commercial Hotel, Albury Street, Murrumburrah, circa 1890s. Source: Harden Murrumburrah Historical Society HO3.

* Criterion Hotel, located on the corner of Albury and Bathurst Streets, Murrumburrah - 1860 to 1955 (?late 1960s). Located next to the Allsopp flour mill. Converted to two-storey apartments around 1970 and demolished in 1972. Currently the site of the reserve housing the Bill the Bastard memorial and Federation Star memorial. Prior to the 1890s the Criterion was frequently used for community functions such as council and general meetings, and by the Catholic church.

Man with draught horse outside the Criterion Hotel, on the corner of Albury and Bathurst streets, Murrumburrah, outside the Criterion Hotel, 1892. Source: Harden Murrumburrah Historical Society HO1.

Criterion Hotel, Albury and Bathurst streets, Murrumburrah. Mr Vicks was the owner at the time, and Paddy O'Brien is driving the cab out front. Source: Harden Murrumburrah Historical Society HO5.

* Crown Inn, 102 Neill Street, Harden - 1875 to 1890. Became the Federal Hotel and then the Royal Hotel. Operated until circa 2010 as a hotel and later backpacker accommodation. Currently a private residence.

* Doncaster Hotel, 2 Station Street, Harden - 1879 to 2008. Located at the eastern end of Neill Street, next to Harden railway station and opposite the Carrington Hotel. The Doncaster was built in 1876 by D.H. Campbell of Cunningham Plains (HMHS Bulletin no.54). Extended in 1906 to its current form. Awnings likely removed circa 1969 in accordance with Council regulations. See reminiscences of Blanch Reid (1910), HMHS Bulletin, no.23, March 1973.

'Barnes' Doncaster Hotel, Station Street, Harden. Postcard dated 29 February 1908.

Doncaster Hotel, Harden, circa 1910s. Source: Australian National University Archives.

* Exchange Hotel, 349 Albury Street, Murrumburrah - 1865 to 1969. Formerly known as the Murrumburrah Hotel (1866-1881). Extended to its current form in 1899. Lacework awnings likely removed circa 1969 in accordance with Council regulations. Currently a private residence.

Exchange Hotel, Albury Street, Murrumburrah. Source: Harden Murrumburrah Historical Society HO6.

Exchange Hotel, Albury Street, Murrumburrah, circa 1900s. Source: Harden Murrumburrah Historical Society HO7.

Exchange Hotel, Albury Street, Murrumburrah, circa 1960s. Source: Harden Murrumburrah Historical Society HO8.

* Federal Hotel, 102 Neill Street, Harden - 1900 to 1906. Previously the Crown Inn (1875-1890) and later the Royal Hotel. Operated until circa 2010 as a hotel and later backpacker accommodation. Currently a private residence. Iron lacework awnings removed circa 1969 due to Council regulations.

Federal Hotel, Neill Street, Harden, Murrumburrah, circa 1905. Source: Harden Murrumburrah Historical Society HO11.

* Grand Hotel, 63 Neill Street, Harden - 1914 to circa 2010. Located opposite the site of the former Commercial Hotel and present Harden Shire Council offices, on the north-eastern corner of Neill and East streets, Harden. Lacework awnings likely removed circa 1969 in accordance with Council regulations. Operated until circa 2010 as a hotel and later backpacker accommodation.

Grand Hotel, Neill Street, Harden, circa 1920s. Source: Harden Murrumburrah Historical Society HO37.

Grand Hotel, Neill Street, Harden, circa 2020.

* Harden Motel, Albury Street / Burley Griffin Way, Harden - 1964 to Present.

* Light Horse Hotel, 337-341 Albury Street, Murrumburrah - 1861 to Present. Located opposite the T. & G. Barnes stores. Subject to numerous alterations and extensions, with a second storey added in 1892. Formerly the Commercial Hotel (1861-2014).

Light Horse Hotel, Murrumburrah, circa 2020.

* Murrumburrah Hotel, Albury Street, Murrumburrah - 1865 to 1881. Later known as the Exchange Hotel (1865-1969). Currently a private residence.

* Railway Hotel, Neill Street, Harden - 1880 to 1885. Possibly the precursor to the Carrington Hotel, located on the north-western corner of Neill and Station streets, opposite the Harden railway station (refer above).

Railway Hotel, Neill Street, Harden, circa 1880s. Source: Harden Murrumburrah Historical Society HO2.

* Railway Inn / Railway Hotel, located on the north-western corner of Neill and Bathurst Streets, Murrumburrah - 1874 to 1906. Later the Albion Hotel (1874-1918). Destroyed by fire in 1918 and currently three residences exist on the site, made from the hotel bricks. Located adjacent to the site of the former Murrumburrah railway station (now demolished).

* Royal Hotel, 102 Neill Street, Harden - 1907 to 1951. Previously operated as the Crown Inn (1875-1890) and the Federal Hotel (1900-1906). Currently a private residence. Located on the western end of the Harden commercial district. Iron lacework awnings removed around 1969 due to Council regulations.

Royal Hotel, Neill Street, Harden. Mike O'Connen and his brother John arriving from South Australia to start share farming on Terrey, Cunningar, circa 1910s. Source: Harden Murrumburrah Historical Society HO10.

Former Royal Hotel, Neill Street, Harden, circa 2020.

* Shamrock Hotel, 318 Albury Street, Murrumburrah - 1878 to 1892. Destroyed by fire 1899. Located on the site of the present Murrumburrah School of Arts / Museum building.

* Telegraph Hotel, Albury Street, Murrumburrah - 1880 to 1925. Located on the western edge of town. Destroyed by fire in 1927. Former stables apparently remain on the site. 

* Traveller's Rest Inn / Hotel, 190-192 Neill Street, Murrumburrah - 1860 to 1867+. Three storey building located adjacent to a creek and facing south towards Albury Street. Currently a residence. Listed with the National Trust. During the early years of the town of Murrumburrah this building would have been a prominent feature on the landscape as people passed through to town. It was located on higher ground on the north side of Albury Street.

Traveller's Rest Inn, Neill Street, Murrumburrah, 2020.

* Whitehorse Inn, corner of Binalong and Iris streets, Murrumburrah - 1856 to 1857. Lot 1 Section 37. Located beside the old main track (now Binalong street) through the village. Demolished 1948. Possibly began operating during the 1840s when present-day Binalong street was the main track through what would become the towns of Harden and Murrumburrah after 1858. In an 1860 newspaper report on a murder at Murrumburrah in 1856, it is recorded that there was an inn there at the time which sold grog. This was likely the Whitehorse Inn, which had been allocated a license on 18 April 1856.

----------------------------

Acknowledgements

I would like to acknowledge the assistance of Robyn Atherton and Ken Pearsell of the Harden Murrumburrah Historical Society in the compilation of this blog. Robyn's book provided the impetus for the work, and the substantive research, whilst Ken provided access to digital copies of many of the historic photographs.

References

Atherton, Robyn, Pubs, Publicans & People: A Catalogue of Hotels in the History of Harden Shire, Harden Murrumburrah Historical Society, 2nd edition, 2015, 140p.

--------------------------

Harden Murrumburrah: Aboriginal heritage | Cinema / Picture Theatres | Council Chambers | Fossil animals | Flying into Harden 1914 | Historic Buildings | Hotels, Pubs & Inns | McMahon's Reef Goldfield | Postal Services | Sheep

Last updated: 25 July 2021

Michael Organ