Closed Hotels of South Australia: The College Arms Hotel. (Cnr. Currie & Rosina Streets.)

Closed Hotels of South Australia: The College Arms Hotel. (Cnr. Currie & Rosina Streets.)

Situated on the corner of Currie Street and Rosina Street, the Coronation Hotel was established in 1846 as the Golden Fleece Inn. From 1871 until 1937, the hotel was known as The Crown Inn, from 1937 until 1979 it was known as The Coronation Hotel. From 1979 until 1984 it was known as Hotel California, and from 1984 until 1987 it was known as Armstrong’s Tavern. Its last incarnation was as The College Arms Hotel when it was run in conjunction with the TAFE-SA.

  The hotel was opened by Andrew Harriot in 1846, who leased the hotel in 1848 to Donald Stewart. Stewart didn’t see out the year before he sold hotel lease to William Gardener. Gardener on-sold to Francis Bunn in 1850 who kept the hotel until 1854. The next lessee was James Robinson who in 1855 sold the lease back to Andrew Harriot.

  The hotel was sold to Goodman Hart in 1860 who operated it until 1862. The next two lessees were female, Margaret Dymond: 1860-1862, and Mary Ann Richards from 1862 until 1866. Three more Lessee’s took the hotel (Charles Mallen: 1866-1867, Robert Poole: 1867-1868 and Joseph Backhouse: 1868-1869) before Goodman Hart retook his lease from 1869 until 1871.
From 1871 until 1937 the hotel had another 34 publicans – you can find a list of all publicans here: https://localwiki.org/adelaide-hills/Adelaide_Hotels_-_Currie_Street

The Crown Inn - 1918. SLSA B84 

  The hotel changed its name in 1937 under the ownership of Elise Maude McKeown to The Coronation Hotel. In the next few years, the hotel was constantly in the news for all the wrong reasons. Publicans were caught selling alcohol illegally after hours, and bar staff and patrons were caught betting illegally by the undercover Police Gaming Squad.


  The Coronation Hotel was also at the centre of a legal case in 1939 when under the ownership of Daniel Kenny. Kenny had challenged in court the legality of Ballroom dancing to be held in South Australian hotels. The law at the time stated that for dancing to occur in a hotel, the licensee had to have written permission from two Justices of the Peace, one of whom must be the Commissioner, a superintendent, inspector or sub-inspector of the South Australian Police.
Kenny lost the case when Justice Muirhead found it illegal. During an appeal the following year, it was revealed that other hotels in the vicinity were allowed to hold dancing. Lawyer for Kenny, Mr Travers equated the allowing of one hotel, over another to hold dances as an act of: “one law for the rich and another for the poor”.
 Due to the stresses of the court case and the constant harassment of police, Kenny sold his lease to Joseph Kilgariff in 1940.

The Coronation Hotel - circa 1966. SLSA: B16356 

 In 1979, the hotel rebranded as the Hotel California, a discotheque featuring a raised DJ box above the dance floor. From 1984 until 1987 it was known as Armstrong’s Tavern which was considered a safe hotel for the local gay community. From 1987 it was known as The College Arms Hotel and was used to train TAFE students. The hotel was demolished to make way for an update to the Adelaide TAFE-SA campus.



Researched and written by Allen Tiller © 2019

Sources:
'ADELAIDE POLICE NOT INTELLIGENCE OFFICER, POLICE SAY', The Advertiser, (21 March 1940), p. 7.
'Obtained Liquor After Hours', The Advertiser, (3 February 1939), p. 30.
'ADELAIDE POLICE', The Advertiser, (16 January 1940), p. 6
‘'Put-and-Take Players Fined 5/’, The News, (30 November 1942), p.5.
'ADELAIDE POLICE', The Advertiser, (2 July 1946), p. 5.
'BARMAN TO PAY £42', News, (7 June 1950), p. 2.
'Four Men Fined For Liquor Offences', News, (2 February 1939), p. 16.
'MAGISTRATE RULES HOTEL DANCING IS ILLEGAL', News, (28 November 1939), p. 7.
'DANCING IN HOTEL', News, (15 January 1940), p. 8.
'ADELAIDE POLICE', The Advertiser, (16 January 1940), p. 6.

Buckerfield's Mill Inn - Hidden Secrets

Buckerfield's Mill Inn - Hidden Secrets

< Transcript>

The earliest records of the Mill Inn on the corner of Adelaide Road and Seventh Street Gawler South are from 1858, with the hotel license being registered to Mr H.W. Buckerfield in 1859. Buckerfield’s Mill Inn, as it became known, was a very popular drinking venue in the town, and also known for having 1st class accommodation. Buckerfield added stockyards to his substantial property in 1864.

 Buckerfields Mill Inn was known in Gawler as the home of sporting events. It sponsored many local horse races, sprinting races at Goose Island, and Rifle Shooting competitions.

Buckerfield sold the hotel to Mr C Woltmann in 1866, and from then on it changed hands another 24 times until 1920 when its liquor license was finally withdrawn.

In 1882, 48-year-old Charles Daniels, left the Mill Inn to walk across the Mill Bridge, only to be struck down by the 10:30 pm horse-drawn tram from the Gawler Railway Station. Daniels injuries were substantial after being crushed by the tram’s wheels, and he died not long after the accident.

In 1904, while under the license of Edward Maher, local life assurance agent, Percy Webb committed suicide in the hotels' stables. In 1907, William Thomas was charged with causing a disturbance at the hotel for getting very drunk and not being able to pay his bill. For using indecent language against the arresting officer, he received 14 days in her Majesty’s Adelaide Gaol! Two other patrons, Mr and Mrs Yeomen were fined for obstructing police.

 Also, in 1970, 19-year-old William Goldney, who was riding his bike across the Mill Bridge, was clipped by a horse and trap. Goldney was taken to the Mill Inn where he died from his injuries two hours later.

In 1920 the hotel closed its doors for the final time. A large auction was held to sell the hotels goods, which attracted a large crowd.

From 1923 the former Mill Inn became the home of Mrs Broadstock, and during the 1960s, it became a deli. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, it became a Vincentian Centre, part of the St Vincent DePaul Society

Most recently Hyde and Partners have renovated the building and neighbouring house and created their Medical Centre.

<End Transcript>

 Correction: In the video, I refer to W.H. Buckerfield as being the first owner of the hotel when in fact it was H.W. Buckerfield that owned it.
 William Henry Buckerfield owned the Angaston Hotel, and his son Henry William Buckerfield owned the Mill Inn, Gawler.

Researched and written by Allen Tiller ©2019

Baby in Water Closet - Colonist Tavern, Norwood.

Baby in Water Closet - Colonist Tavern, Norwood.

A newly born male baby, weighing 7 pounds was found in the water closet (toilet) of the Colonist Inn on the Parade Norwood, in 1880. During the newborns autopsy, held by Dr Verco, it was revealed that child had been born recently, but was mostly likely still born as the child had never tried to breath. However, if the mother had have been with a mid-wife, there was evidence the child would of lived.

An inquest into the death was held at Destitute Asylum on Kermode Street in Adelaide, by the City Coroner where details of how the baby came to be in the toilet were revealed. 

Mary Hand, an inn servant revealed that a young lady named Ellen MacNamara visited the Old Colonist Inn on May 17th, 1880. Helen claimed to be very tired and went to bed without dinner.
 The next day, Ellen helped Mary with some of her work, but collapsed. Mary helped her as best she could, and after dinner that night, did not see Ellen again until the following day at 9 am.

 That morning Ellen told Mary she had soiled the bed-sheets and would wash them out and hang them herself. Ellen washed the sheets but left them soaking in the water. Before leaving, Ellen told Mary that she was planning to travel out to the country.
That evening, Mary went into Ellen's room to tidy up and found that there were bloodied clothes, and blood on the mattress. She reported the soiled mattress to her bosses Mr and Mrs Bern.
 Mr Bern notified the local police, that he believed a child may have been born in his hotel.

As more details emerged, it was revealed that Ellen MacNamara claimed that she had become pregnant to Sidney George Gilbert, who was a butcher living at Government Gums. Gilbert's mother, Ann was called as a witness, and she revealed that Helen had visited her house, saying she was pregnant to her son Sidney.

 Mrs Gilbert took the young girl in as she felt the girl might need some care. In the mean time she wrote to her son asking about Ellen and the chances of her being pregnant to him.
Sidney outright denied getting Ellen pregnant, but Mrs Gilbert allowed the girl to stay with her for 11 weeks, and in that time collected some children’s clothing for the unborn child.
 It was revealed to Mrs Gilbert during that 11 weeks, that Ellen did not like, nor want children.
 The reason Ellen left the care of the Gilbert family was revealed. She had been sneaking out at night, and for that reason Mr Gilbert, who did not want the girl under his roof, insisted she leave.
Helen left the baby clothes at the Gilbert's, still wrapped, and made her way to the Old Colonist Inn.

 Alfred Pickford was the next witness, a former employer of MacNamara. 

MacNamara has seen Pickford wife and told her she had spent some time in the Destitute Asylum, that she had been promised marriage from a man in the country, and that the baby had died. She stated that that very morning she was released.
 As it turns out, that very day, was the same day she had left the Old Colonist Inn.

Miss Ellen MacNamara, it was revealed, had given birth to the child of Sidney Gilbert. Sidney had written letters to her saying he would arrange to marry her, after she had the child, and traveled to where he lived.
 She had concealed her pregnancy due to being unmarried and had given birth to the still-born child in the room she rented at the Old Colonist Inn.
 The Jury asked for charges of “Concealment of Birth” to be pressed by the Police on Miss MacNamara.

Ellen MacNamara, 22 (sometimes known as Frawley) pleaded guilty to charges of 'Concealment of a Baby'. She was sentenced to 3 months of imprisonment.

Researched and written by Allen Tiller © 2018

Bibliography

1880 'CORONER'S INQUEST.', The Express and Telegraph (Adelaide, SA : 1867 - 1922), 8 June, p. 2. (SECOND EDITION.), viewed 04 Aug 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article207589684

1880 'CORONERS' INQUESTS.', South Australian Chronicle and Weekly Mail (Adelaide, SA : 1868 - 1881), 12 June, p. 9. , viewed 04 Aug 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article94751416

1880 'TELEGRAMS.', Border Watch (Mount Gambier, SA : 1861 - 1954), 9 June, p. 3. , viewed 04 Aug 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article77588306

1880 'Law Courts.', South Australian Chronicle and Weekly Mail (Adelaide, SA : 1868 - 1881), 7 August, p. 10. , viewed 04 Aug 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article94752475