Hotels & Inns in Gawler since 1839

Memories of Hotels & Inns in Gawler since 1839

[[Rememberer::Richardt ]] remembers: From The Bunyip, 11th February 1927

Old Gawler

A most interesting publication has been unearthed from the shelves within the “Bunyip” Office, being a general and commercial directory published by W Barnet, Murray Street, in 1860, three years before the birth of 'The Bunyip.'

“There was certainly an overplus of pubs, or rather inn was the accepted word in other days, although some houses rose to the dignity of an hotel.

Within the corporation the oldest was the Old Spot Inn, controlled by Edward Martin. Others were the Globe (George Causby), Prince Albert Hotel (John McEwen), Gawler Arms (Ed.Clements), Old Bushman (J. H. Howe), later Hon. J. H. Howe), and Grapes Inn (Ernest Kopke). Evidently the Commercial and Exchange houses came later in the sixties.

These should have been sufficient for the small population then existing, but the outside and sparsely populated areas had even more public attention than the town residents. The cause was the slow locomotion, bullocks being the principal traction, and the fact that Burra copper was carted through to Port Adelaide.

Over in Gawler South area were the Mill Inn (H. W. Buckerfield), Ram's Head (C. C. Crace, Evanston), Railway Hotel (Ed. Martin), Engine and Driver Hotel (J. Schmidt, Bassett Town), Smithfield Hotel (J. Bennett), Penfield (Josiah Chesterman), with Salisbury a nest of drinking houses.

Other hotels in the district in 1860 were the Willaston Hotel, Gawler Belt Inn, Shea-oak Log Inn, Half Moon, Seven Stars, and the Bush Inn, and the Wheatsheaf on the road to Lyndoch Valley. Even after this date the hotels multiplied, and as quickly went down again.”

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