The Agricultural Hotel

The ?rst Agricultural Hotel, situated on the corner of Munro Street (Sixth Avenue) and Frederick Street (Eighth Avenue) was built in 1882 for George Trunley, and was opposite the then Northern Agricultural Association Showground. He had previously been publican of the Tradesman's Arms on corner of John and Elizabeth Streets in 1874 and the Northurnberland Hotel in George Street from 1875--82.

Tenders were called for by 30th January 1882 in the Singleton Argus for the building of a hotel for George Trunley and his licence was granted on 23rd August 1882. A description of the hotel was reported in the Singleton Argus on 24th January 1883 -- "Trunley's Agricultural Hotel is a handsome, tuck pointed, two storied brick building, with an elaborately cast iron verandah, in the western & southern sides from which an excellent view of surrounding country can be obtained.

Frontage to Railway Station of some 66ft & Frederick Street 36 feet. Architect George Brown, Maitland & Contractor G Parr, Singleton faithfully carried out design & contract. On the basement floor contains an excellently ?tted up & commodious bar, a sitting room, & parlour nicely furnished, with a passage of 7 feet from which branches a private bedroom & parlour. The upper story is approached by a wide staircase, lighted up by a plain coloured window, leads to a chastely furnished drawing room, bath, & 8 bedrooms capable of accommodating 15 occupants.

The bedrooms are lofty & well ventilated & lead on to the upper verandah. The kitchen is also on a 2 storeyed building, containing a cooking department with 2 kitchen ranges & 3 servant's rooms. Stabling 6 loose boxes 12 x 8 X100 which complete 3 sides of a quadrangle & above them a hay loft of 50feet in length. Mr. Trunley intends putting up extensions opposite Frederick Street, of a 31' X 21' as a dining or commercial room & above that 6 comfortable bedrooms, completing the oblong by some extra loose boxes for horses. There is a plentiful supply of water for domestic

purposes. Known Trunley's Bonhomie & his pleasant wife does the honours of the table in a charming manner."

Tenders were called for additions and alterations in 1886 and George Trunley retained the licence until James .B. Fredericks became leesee / Licensee on 23 August 1886. He was followed by W.J. Wilson (1887-8), John McSweeney (1889-9), John Mclnerney (1889-91), James Benham ( l893--5), Henry Murray (1895--6) William Whipps (1896-7) and Thomas Selden (1897--8), James Benharn returned in 1898. He had also been licensee of the Drover's Arms, Broke (1882-4) and the Lord Raglan, Bourke Street (1887-9).

George Trunley retained ownership until 1900. By early February 1901 the hotel was known to be owned by the Castlemaine Brewery. John. W. Teddiman became licensee on 12m March 1901.

He had previously been mine host at the Railway View (1890-5) and the Tradesman's (1896-1901), both hotels were situated in John Street. The 1901 Census showed 5 males & 6 females at the hotel. At that time John & Mary Teddiman had 2 sons and 3 daughters, born 1891-1900.

Thomas Irwin Janson became licensee on 29th April 1909. Tenders were called on 18th September 1909 for additions & alterations. In 1912 Janson built an amusement hall opposite the hotel, on the western corner of the former N.A.A. Showground. The hall faced Frederick Street and was opened on Saturday 22 June 1912.

Tenders were called by Castlemaine Brewery for additions and alterations in the Singleton Argus on 11th April 1916.

Thomas Janson's father, James, died at the hotel on 5th June 1918 and was buried beside his wife in the cemetery at Aberdeen.

Thomas Janson purchased the nearby Terminus Hotel in 1920. Edward V. Carr was the next Agricultural Publican and by the time Walter J. Barrington became licensee in 1921 the hotel was owned by Tooth & Co., who had taken over the Castlemaine and Wood Bros. Brewery.

Walter J. Barrington was still at the hotel in 1924, however by 1928 Lionel Wells was lessee and the Munro Street frontage stated as 64 feet x 140/ 170 and he was still licensee in 1933. Percy Clarence Spiller was known to be licensee by June 1935 and LS. O'Sullivan by 1938.

On 20th April 1941 the Singleton Argus reported "The Full Licensing Board, which granted the application of Messrs Tooth & Co, for permission to demolish the Agricultural Hotel and erect an £1 l 000 hotel on the same site, were told that repairs and renovations would cost about £8,000, including sewage and that the new hotel was a more economical proposition. The new building is to be erected within the next 12 months provided the permission of the Federal Treasurer for the expending capital is obtained."

The hotel was not demolished until 1954. On the 22nd January, the Singleton Argus reported "that demolition work was in progress and a new Agricultural Hotel of contemporary design to be built at the cost of £60,000.

The licensee was then Eileen Margaret Haraldstad, who had been Mine Host since 1947.

(References: Hotel Licences Archives of NSW - Maitland Mercury -- Singleton Argus)

Submitted by Dot Clayworth.

(Photo supplied by Christine Haraldstad.)

SOLVING OUR HOTELS CONTROVERSY

Which Hotel is Which?

It is now known that one of our two controversial hotel photos (see Patrick Plains Gazette August 2008 & August 2009), is definitely the Agricultural Hotel and not the Railway Hotel as we were lead to believe. As I thought, some of the people in the photo, in front of the hotel, were the publican, Thomas Jansen, his wife, Eliza, daughter Muriel (born 1903) and son James Thomas Lyle (born 1907).

The other photo, which we were led to believe, was the Terminus Hotel, appears also to he the Agricultural Hotel. The group on the balcony could well be members of the Teddiman family. ARE WE CORRECT WITH THIS ASSUMPTION???

Gazette Vol 26 No 3 December 2009

More Hotel photos from Tooth and Company

Return to Inns and Hotels Page