A Moment in Time…..
“Images of the Ebor Hotel are rare….any dating evidence would be appreciated”
Can you date this photograph album? – part 1 (Tank Parade)
Can you date this photograph album? – part 2 (Nurse Photographers?)
Category: -- Can you date...?
Tag: Moments in Time, New England
Melissa says:
From a search of Trove, it appears that there was a Ebor Hotel around from at least the 1920s. However, the building style of the picture indicates a Federation Filigree style which was most common from 1890 till the beginning of World War I. Also, the clothing style being worn by the lady on the verandah suggests early 1900s (but I can’t be too sure because the picture isn’t that clear when zoomed).
The photo reminds me of pictures taken when a building initially opens. I wonder if a local newspaper might give a specific date of the opening?
Mary Anne says:
Dont know if thd following article is relevent. However it may well be the same hotel which was opened in 1907. Burnt down in 1968. It is now the site of the current Ebor Motel. Government Gazette should have list of Pulicans licences which should give a clue as to dates. There were several mines registerd around the 1907 date as well as the local public shcool being opened that year.
Unlocking Regional Memory
Published Resources
Journal Article
Author: Croft, Julian
Title: ‘The Guy Fawkes Hotel, Ebor’ and ‘Autumn, Gostwyck'[poems]
In: Armidale and District Historical Society : Journal and Proceedings
Imprint: vol. 16, 1973, p. 29
Subject: Ebor; Gostwyck; Literature
Prepared by: James Crowley
Good luck
Mary Anne
Mary Anne says:
further to this mornings input: I have checked with the Dept of Lands to find that the Village of Ebor was declared on the 15th of July 1905. This means the picture can be no younger than that.
Prior to this the district was refered to as Guy Fawkes in the Parish of Darmaresque. Having checked the the NLA newpaper website there is information about the Guy Fawkes Hotel being 6 miles from Hillgrove which would be Ebor. The Hotel was built by one Henry Purkiss ( of Wollombi and Armidale) and his wife Charlotte according to a Sydney Moring Herald News article dated 18 March 1935 about Charlottes life on her 90th birthday.
Henry started life in the British Navy. Obtained his discharge in Sydney and went looking for gold. (Special Gold Leases 23 may- June 1892) He was declared bankrupt ( Maitland Mercury 1893) At that time he was a Licenced victualer and store keeper. NSW state records index file no. 06140 dated 31/01/1895.He died in Armidale in 1998.( nsw BDM)
Without further information it is hard to confirm if this is the same hotel. Who knows,perhaps that is Charlotte standing on the Veranda?
Mary Anne
Fiona Sullivan says:
Thanks @Melissa you got us off to a great start! Based on your information about the building and the clothing we have a rough date range from 1890 – 1910, most probably c.1900. I don’t believe the staff at the University of New England and Regional Archives (UNERA) have been able to track down references in a local paper to date, however, that is not to say there aren’t any.
Some great detective work @Mary Anne. Bill Oates at UNERA also said that the hotel in the photo burnt down in 1968 so it’s likely that you are both talking about the same place. Your information narrows the date range of the photo further to a date on or after 15 July 1905.
Jenny Sloggett says:
As it shows the name Ebor Hotel, this photograph should be 1912 or later. The name Ebor Hotel is not listed in the Government Gazettes until 1912. Newspaper reports for the March-April Hillgrove Licensing District should show an application for a change of name as well as renewal of licence.
The problem with dating this photograph exactly is that it is not clear enough to show the Publican’s nameplate above the front door. The nameplate was required from 1882 on. ‘An Act to remodel the law relating to Publicans and other Persons engaged in the sale of Liquor’ [Assented to 19 December 1881] Act No.14 45 Vic (Short Title: Licensing Act of 1882), Section 77 required that ‘Every licensee under this Act shall cause to be painted and shall maintain so painted in letters at least two inches long on the front of his premises his name in full followed by the words if he be the holder of a publican’s license “licensed to sell retail and spirituous liquors”…’ Then it is merely a matter of matching the publican’s name to the lists in the Government Gazette.
Incidentally post 1882 finding a publican’s name is not just a matter of checking the annual list of publican’s licences published in Gazette. From 1865 to 1881 new licences were issued at any time of the year but renewed every year in June or July. Thus a new licence issued in May would only last until June of the same year. From 1882 onwards new licences were renewed 12 months after they were granted. The Gazettes have an index in each volume and the heading ‘Licenses – Publicans’ will provide the page numbers. Publication of publicans licences ceases in the Gazettes in 1921. The second problem is figuring out the Licensing District as the licences are listed within Licensing Districts.
The following are the listings for the Grosvenor Hotel, Guy Fawkes / Ebor Hotel, Ebor from 1901 to 1913. I did not check before 1901 nor after 1913 and the hotel may be in existence before that. It is listed under the Hillgrove Licensing District.
Grosvenor Hotel, Guy Fawkes:
Joseph Kirkwood 7 April 1901 to 6 April 1905
John Williams 7 April 1905 to 6 April 1908
John Hackett 7 April 1906 to 6 April 1908
Walter Bradbury 7 April 1908 to 6 April 1910
James H Griffin 7 April 1910 to 6 April 1912
Ebor Hotel, Ebor
James H Griffin 7 April 1912 to 6 April 1913
Clifford Mosely 7 April 1913 to 6 April 1914.
I did not check 1914 and beyond.
Pingback/Trackback
MONDAY IN RALEIGH. « LYNNE SANDERS-BRAITHWAITE
Fiona Sullivan says:
Thanks for the comprehensive research and informative comment Jenny! It’s a shame about that nameplate. At one time it definitely would have been visible in this photograph.
As you suggest, based on the infomration to hand at the moment, the date of this photo should be from April 1912 onwards.
enno says:
Well Ebor is more than 6 miles from Hillgrove.
If Ebor village was declared in 1905, why would you say, it can be no younger than that ? Do you mean, no older ?
I suggest you check when the roads through Ebor were built. You might also want to check the era when the Guyra-Coffs Harbour railway was commenced.
Diana Wood says:
I have a photograph of Ebor Hotel taken in March 1961 (on my honeymoon). Some changes to the exterior had been made since the earlier photograph.
Russ Hackett says:
The list of publicans tells the story.The Grosvenor burnt down(along with bank and store) and a new pub was built in the village of Ebor which is 6kms further east.Your photo is almost certainly this pub when new.It underwent several facelifts and renovations before burning down.the results of these can be viewed in photos at the present pub. Note,however,that this pub was not on the site of the present hotel/motel but one block further up the road.
Ivan Spedding says:
I have a photo of this hotel taken by my father in April 1939 which is quit edifferent – there is a paling fence beside it and the lower verandah is altered so I could say with confidence it is quite some time before that. Otherwise I am unable to help, but can give you a copy of the 1939 pic if you require it
Kathy Durrant says:
I am just reading through the history of the Ebor Pub NSW…We lived there in 1965..
There was a tin shed there at the time,which was the pub..any history on that,would be appreciated..Regards Kathy