The Angaston Hotel

The Angaston Hotel

 

Angaston Hotel 1940 SLSA PRG 1356/4/52

  George Simpson was the first licensee of the Angaston Hotel in 1846.[1] The original hotel consisted of 11 stone rooms, a large well, a large cellar and stables. It also contained a large garden where food was grown to be served in the hotel.
 Simpson advertised his hotel in The South Australian (newspaper) on Christmas Day 1846 as:

“ANGASTON – ANGAS PARK.

 GEORGE SIMPSON respectfully informs the public and inhabitants of the above town, and gentlemen visiting the Poonawurta and Angas Mines (which are in the immediate neighbourhood) and the River Murray, that he has opened a house of accommodation, called the “Angaston Hotel” where he intends to keep a constant supply of the best wines, spirits, and other liquor, and solicits that support which it will be his study to merit.”[2]

 In 1847, the Angaston Hotels publican changed from Simpson to William Hughes.[3] In 1848 the license transferred to Nicholas Player who also owned the hotel.[4] Friedrich Otto Windschied was the next publican, from 1855 until 1859.[5]

 Nicholas Player returned as the publican during 1859 and early 1860, before leasing the hotel to George Fuller until 1861, then James Nolan from 1862 until 1863. From 1863 until 1865 the hotel publican was Richard Milson, followed by AR Preston in 1870, and CF Beaumont from 1870-71.

  In 1871 the Angaston Inn changed ownership when Mr Beaumont sold the hotel to Mr Buckerfield of Kapunda.  The hotel then went through various publicans including James Klotz 1879-1884, George Lawrence 1884-1886 and Arthur Worby 1886-87.

  The hotel was then bought by Frederick Leach in 1887, as owner publican he ran the hotel until 1901.

 He then leased the hotel to Albrecht Borchers until 1904, followed by Thomas Davies from 1904-07 and Edward Cummins from 1907 until 1910.
 In 1910, Leach sold the hotel to William Mitchell who leased the hotel to its first female publican, Janet Bleechmore. Mitchell is credited for building the upper level of the hotel in 1914, which is also the same year the hotel licensee, Albert Lambert was taken to insolvency court by creditors.[6]

 Mitchell later sold the hotel to William Birdseye who owned it from 1917 until 1951. In 1950, Birdseye, now 80 years old, planned to buy more land behind the hotel to extend the accommodation wing.[7] In 1951 the hotel was put up for sale after the death of Birdseye.  A move was made for the Angaston Hotel to bought by the local community, but the executors of the sale of the hotel could not reach an agreement with the community purchasing committee.[8] In late 1952, Mr and Mrs Nicholls, former owners of the Truro Hotel took over the Angaston Hotel.[9]

 This area was originally occupied by the indigenous Peramangk peoples. In December 1838, Colonel Light and his party are recorded as the first Europeans entering the area. In 1939, South Australian Company Geologist, Johannes Menge wrote to George Fife Angas in England of the suitability of the area for vineyards. Angaston was originally known as Angas Town in the region of German Pass, often people cite German Pass as being the original name, but there is evidence in newspapers from 1843 that this was not the case.[10]

 The rear yard of the Angaston Hotel also contains walls that were once part of the Angaston townships original council pound for stray animals.

 The Angaston Hotel is allegedly haunted by a spirit that likes to torment kitchen staff. It has been known to upend tables, push objects off benches, slam cupboard and kitchen doors, and rattle metallic objects!
 It is not known who the mischievous spirit might be. The hotel was often used for inquests on dead bodies, but there are few records of deaths or suicides in the building.

Research and written by Allen Tiller © 2019

Sources:

'Advertising', South Australian, (25 December 1846), p. 3.

'ANGASTONS COMMUNITY HOTEL MOVE FAILS TO REACH FIGURE', Leader, (4 October 1951) p. 1.

'ANNUAL MEETING OF MAGISTRATES. Monday, March 13.', South Australian, (14 March 1848), p. 2.

'COUNTRY NEWS.', The Express and Telegraph, (17 February 1871), p. 2.[11]

'COURT CASES.', The Advertiser, (2 September 1914), p. 14.

'MITCHELL’S ANGASTON HOTEL.', Saturday Mail, (10 June 1916), p. 2

'NEW GENERAL LICENSES.', South Australian, (15 December 1846), p. 6.

'QUARTERLY MEETING OF MAGISTRATES.', South Australian, (14 September 1847), p. 3.

'THE AMATEUR CONCERT.', South Australian Register, (8 November 1843), p. 2.

'Truro Farewell to Mr and Mrs F. Nicholls', Leader, (9 October 1952), p. 1.

[1] 'NEW GENERAL LICENSES.', South Australian, (15 December 1846), p. 6.
[2] 'Advertising', South Australian, (25 December 1846), p. 3.
[3] 'QUARTERLY MEETING OF MAGISTRATES.', South Australian, (14 September 1847), p. 3.
[4] 'ANNUAL MEETING OF MAGISTRATES. Monday, March 13.', South Australian, (14 March 1848), p. 2.
[5] 'ANGASTON.', South Australian Register, (14 March 1856), p. 3.
[6] 'COURT CASES.', The Advertiser, (2 September 1914), p. 14.
[7] 'PERSONAL', Leader, (6 April 1950), p. 3.
[8] 'ANGASTON COMMUNITY HOTEL MOVE FAILS TO REACH FIGURE', Leader, (4 October 1951) p. 1.
[9] 'Truro Farewell to Mr and Mrs F. Nicholls', Leader, (9 October 1952), p. 1.
[10] 'THE AMATEUR CONCERT.', South Australian Register, (8 November 1843), p. 2.
[11] 'COUNTRY NEWS.', The Express and Telegraph, (17 February 1871), p. 2.