Royal Willows Hotel, formerly Royal Hotel; Hotel Royal, Pambula:
Since its construction in the 1880s, the hotel now known as the Royal Willows has been a central part of the social and historic fabric of the Pambula township.
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Prior to its erection, the site had been occupied by a cottage in which early local residents William and Catherine Gahan lived. William, who may have arrived in Australia as a convict, died in Pambula in March 1861, leaving his widow and three children – James, William and Mary Jane. Catherine remarried in 1864 to James Lovell and went on to have another two daughters. James died in September 1871 and Catherine in February 1877, both in Pambula. In 1883, Mary Jane married
The Royal Hotel on the right as it originally appeared, C. 1890s.
Image courtesy of the George Family Collection. All rights reserved.
William James Tweedie and it was they who developed the site for a hotel.
The Candelo and Eden Union referred in 1885 to “…a very pretty cottage…” built for Mr. Tweedie, the same year that reference was made to “…a fine, large cottage on well laid out premises…quite an addition to this section of the street, where it…provides relief to the eyes that have had for too long to gaze on the ancient, in a colonial sense, kind of domiciles that have held monopoly on this street way…”A publican’s license was granted to Mr. Tweedie for the premises on January 29, 1886, but by October that year when he opposed a similar application by Michael Behl at the Eden Quarterly Licensing Court, he had apparently made no moves to put the license into use. The bench noted “…that Mr. Tweedie, although granted a conditional license nine months ago, had not until recently taken any steps to carry into effect the alterations then contemplated…”
In January the following year a certificate was granted authorizing the issue of a publican’s license to William James Tweedie “…for new premises erected by him at Pambula, to be known as the Royal Hotel…” and the Bega Standard announced in February that “A new hotel, the Royal, was opened a week or two ago by Mr. W. J. Tweedie. The new boniface has an elegantly furnished house and he keeps it well from what we can hear…” The Gahan / Tweedie family were to have a lengthy association with both the site and the hotel, and despite transferring the license to other proprietors on a number of occasions, they remained involved with the business right up into the 1920s.
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When the Royal was advertised for auction in 1887, it was described as a substantial weatherboard building of ten rooms on stone foundations, with lath and plaster walls, front and back verandah, passage and hall with an iron roof. A separate kitchen also with iron roof contained a large brick oven, and there was also a store and servants rooms, a five stall stable, large loft, buggy shed, vegetable and flower gardens, all standing on a half-acre allotment of land. The advertisement also mentioned a half acre adjoining allotment upon which stood a “…substantial…” blacksmith shop.
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The following year, Mr. Tweedie again advertised
From Illawarra and South Coast Steam Navigation Company handbook,
2nd edition, 1912.
Image courtesy of the George Family Collection. All rights reserved.
“…to inform the residents of Bega and surrounding districts and the travelling public generally that he has opened his new premises as an hotel…” and in 1889, when the hotel was advertised to let, it was described as “…the well and favourably known Royal Hotel, at Pambula, a new and commodious House, doing a good business.” By this time, Mr. Tweedie was advertising that he “…has resumed work in his Blacksmith shop adjoining the Royal Hotel, and is prepared to do work at the lowest possible prices.”
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In July 1890, Thomas Mooney purchased the goodwill of the hotel for £396, but by January 1893 he was facing bankruptcy and Mr. Tweedie again resumed his position as licensee of the hotel. Although Mr Mooney tried to sue Mr. Tweedie the following year, the court found in favour of the defendant.
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Granville Alfred Wood took charge of the business in 1893, and in February the following year found himself in trouble with the police “…for allowing billiards to be played on his premises for hire or profit, he not being the holder of a license.” Found guilty, Mr. Wood was fined £5 and costs. He also operated a photography business and in December 1893 in the Pambula Voice announced that “Mr. G. A. Wood is taking good photos at reduced prices during the holiday season.” By September 1895, Mr Tweedie was again licensee of the Royal and in November it was reported that he was “…having the…premises thoroughly renovated. The sidewalk in front of the hotel has been raised and leveled, making a great improvement in the appearance of the street.”
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Royal Hotel, C. 1923.
Image courtesy of the George Family Collection. All rights reserved.
During their time in the district, the Tweedie family were very involved community affairs, particularly with regards to sporting matters. In 1897, W. J. Tweedie chaired the meeting that saw the Pambula Athletic Club formed, and following the election of officials, became a vice-president. In 1923, he was elected to the same position in the Pambula Football Club and in November offered his services to lay concrete for a cricket pitch on the town’s new sporting ground. The Pambula Voice reported that the new feature was “…due to the energy of Mr. W. J. Tweedie and several sporting enthusiasts for carrying out the work.”
It was announced in October 1896 that Mr. Tweedie had sold the hotel business to Mr. J. McKee and the same month the license was transferred to the new publican. Mr. McKee remained until 1899 and in December the license was granted to J. W. Thicknesse. This was to be a short lived venture however and by April the following year, G. Thomas was proprietor followed by Mr. G. W. Rochfort. In 1902 an acetylene gas plant to work 15 light was installed and according to contemporary reports, it was claimed that the Royal was the first hotel on the Far South Coast to be thus lit. In 1904 Mr. Rochfort disposed of the business to Mr. G. Kelly of Bermagui, while Peter Daly, licensee from 1906, spent around £300 on renovations and additions, the work being carried out by local contractor Mr. Koerber. Although Mr. Daly had planned to add a second storey to the building, this never eventuated.
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Arthur Nairne Alexander became licensee in February 1909 but died in October the same year. He had reportedly been “…afflicted with total blindness…” for a number of years. After his passing, his wife Ethel took over, running the business until 1911. In August that year, C. L. Brown became licensee and remained until November 1912 when he sold out to Peter Frederick Christoph Putenson. The following year, property owner W. J. Tweedie placed the freehold up for auction, but it failed to sell and Mr. Putenson remained until July 1915. W. J. Tweedie’s daughter and son-in-law Mr. and Mrs. C. Wood then took over the license of the hotel.
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In August 1918, Tweedie again unsuccessfully tried to sell the freehold, and when Mr. and Mrs. Wood decided to give up the business the following month, he resumed his position as licensee. In June 1921, he was granted permission to erect four new rooms and enlarge the bar and bar parlour, and in January 1923, the business name was changed from the Royal Hotel to the Hotel Royal.
In June 1924, Pambula was abuzz when prison escapee Louis Hart was captured by local police on the premises of the Royal. According to news reports, he had made “…a sensational escape from a lavatory at the Supreme Court in Sydney…” before making his way to Pambula. After taking a room in the Royal, he brazenly attended a function in the local School of Arts. Later the same evening, Sergeant Weston and Constable Grinham, both of the local police force, found him in bed and after questioning, arrested him and escorted him to the local lock-up. During the night, in a “…desperate attempt to get beyond the reach of the law…” he bit through an artery in one of his arms. Discovered “…bleeding freely from the wound…” he was treated by the Government Medical Officer, and despite having lost a considerable amount of blood, was declared fit enough for the trip back to Sydney.
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After Mr. Tweedie died in October 1926, his wife took over the license until selling the business, including the freehold, to Mr. McDonough
C. 1920s.
Image courtesy of the George Family Collection. All rights reserved.
of Sydney in September 1927. Less than a month later, Mrs. Tweedie also passed away. When Mr. McDonough tried to renew his license in June 1928, it was refused on the grounds that he “…was not capable of properly conducting the business.” so the following month, it was transferred to his brother James McDonough before being transferred two months later to Charles Alexander Stewart of Kogarah.
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By 1929, Mr. B. Moran had taken over and in May that year, sold out to Mr. Parsell of Lake Cargellico. Dan Grant purchased the business from Mr. Parsell in late 1930 and proceeded to undertake a series of renovations. In 1932 it was reported that he had “…made considerable improvements since he purchased the Royal Hotel, Pambula. He has just completed a new garage where the old blacksmith’s shop stood, and has leased it to Mr. A. McGrath. The billiard room has been renovated and let for a general store business.” Despite these efforts, however, the Licensing Inspector applied in June 1934 to cancel the Royal’s license on the basis that Grant had had three convictions against him in the previous three years. In ruling on the application, the Magistrate not only cancelled the license but also disqualified Grant from holding any license under the Liquor Act for a term of three years. As a result, Mr. Carlyle Norman Murray, Grant’s son-on-law and owner of the freehold, took over as licensee.
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In 1937 John B. Tiernan purchased the property freehold and briefly conducted the business before handing over to Mr. and Mrs. Albert J. (“Trick”) Grant in September. Mr. Grant was to play an integral role in the local sporting community, sponsoring many competitions and events during his time at the hotel. It was probably around this time that the decorative tiling was added, giving the façade an appearance similar to the neighbouring buildings.
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Next came Herbert Ford who took over in July 1939, followed by local resident Mervyn Rixon in December 1941 and in November 1945 he was
Royal Hotel, 1928.
Image courtesy of a private collection. All rights reserved.
fined £3/10/- and costs for selling "...adulterated whisky...". John Bray became licensee in 1946 and in 1947, sold a lease on the business to Mr. George Thomas Clowry of Wollongong. It was reported at the time that Bray intended to return at the end of three years with plans to erect a thirty-room hotel, costing in the vicinity of £40,000.
The business was connected to the Bega Country Council’s electricity supply in June 1947, at which time water was being drawn from tanks and wells on the property. It was finally connected to the town water supply in February 1954.
Hubert Joseph Ellis took over in May 1948, followed by Nicholas George Kondos (formerly known as Kougeufas) in January 1949 and Ronald Charles Rhodes in May 1949. John Bernard Fitzgerald, formerly of the Royal Hotel in nearby Candelo, took over in February 1950, followed by Athol James Stubbs in November 1951 and then Charles Milsom in May 1954.
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Inland Hotels Pty Ltd purchased the freehold in September 1954. Consisting of shareholders including at various times Mr. P. Edwards, Mrs. J. Edwards, Mr. M. McCoy, Mr. R. Wilson, Mr. G. T. Phelps and Mrs. S. A. Phelps, Hilary James Maher was installed as manager soon after the purchase. She was followed in August 1955 by Frank David Baker, who operated the business with the assistance of his parents and sister.
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Walter Bruce McArthur became licensee in September 1957, followed by James Murray Taylor in August 1958 and Alfred Percy Mathews in May 1959. It was around this time that the business became known as the Royal Willows. Managing shareholder Matthew Philip (Matt) McCoy took over in September 1961. Born in nearby Wolumla, McCoy had gone on to enjoy a successful professional Rugby League career during the 1940s and ‘50s, playing for Eastern Suburbs and St. George, with whom he won the 1949 Premiership. He was later inducted into the
Anzac Day, Pambula, C. 1960s. The Royal Willows can be seen in the
background without its verandah.
Courtesy of and © the Estate of A. C. "Bubby" George. All rights reserved.
St. George Illawarra Dragons Hall of Fame. An Australian international and New South Wales interstate representative goal-kicking centre he also represented both Country and City NSW, as well as Central Queensland.
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In October 1960, shareholder Phil Edwards flew from Sydney to the local district to finalise details for the proposed construction of a fifteen-unit motel addition to the hotel complex. Approval for the £15,000 development was given by Imlay Shire Council in January 1962 and the following month it was announced that local building contractors Messrs. P. Robinson, B. McDonald and H. Ward were the successful tenderers. Work had already commenced by that time. The former billiard room and sample room, later used as a general store by Mr. C. S. Walker and located approximately where the present take away bottle shop stands, was demolished in November 1962. The hotel verandah was removed in December the same year. By the end of 1962 the accommodation units had been completed, with the first guests welcomed in December. These are believed to have been the first freestanding tourism accommodation facilities erected within the main Pambula township. Since that time, the business has been officially known as the Royal Willows Hotel – Motel.
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Mr. McCoy was followed by George Thomas Phelps and his wife Shirley, also as managing shareholders. The couple’s daughter Kerryn lived at the hotel with her parents and attended the local primary school. Dr. Phelps was recently returned in the bi-election for the seat of Wentworth in Sydney. The Phelps family were followed by Mr. Phil Edwards, another of the Inland Hotels Pty Ltd shareholders. He took over as licensee in September 1962 and at the end of that year, Mrs. Helen Worthington was engaged to manage the Royal Willows. In July the following year, she departed and in September 1964, Ena Noble became manager.In March 1965, Mr. and Mrs. David Patrick Wilkerson became licensees, followed
The rear of the accommodation section, C. 1964.
Courtesy of & © the Estate of the late A. C. (“Bubby”) George. All rights reserved.
by Mervyn Hansen and his father Jack in 1969, Louis Alexander and Janice Gemmell and Douglas James and Ina Maureen Willmott in 1973, Janice Gemmell in 1979 and Paul Gallagher in 1980.
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The early 1990s saw a restoration program undertaken, with information drawn from historic images, oral recollections and borrowed elements to give us the premises as it now appears today.
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© Shirley Bazley, Angela George and Pat Raymond. All rights reserved.
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The Royal Willows Hotel as it now appears.
Image © Angela George. All rights reserved.
Approximate location of site.
References and bibliography:
Albury Banner and Wodonga Express
Australian Town and Country Journal
Baddeley, Ben and Alma, oral communication
Bartley, Joe, oral communication
Bega Budget
Bega District News
Bega Gazette and Eden District or Southern Coast Advertiser
Bega Standard
Bombala Times
Candelo and Eden Union
Cole, W., oral communication
Dowling, Terry, oral communication
Dunn’s Almanac
Eden Magnet
George, A. C. (“Bubby”) “History of Pambula – Old Records, Early Days”, notebook.
George, Allan, oral communication
Hobart Clipper
Illawarra and South Coast Steam Navigation Company handbook, 2nd ed, 1912
Launceston Examiner
Magnet-Voice
Merimbula News Weekly
Moore’s Almanac and NSW Country Directory
NSW Government Gazette
NSW Lands Department records
Pambula Voice
Perth Daily News
Plowman, Suzannah, Urban design Guidelines for Pambula Commercial Area, for Bega Valley Shire Council, Vol. II, Inventory of properties, 1994.
Port Macquarie News and Hastings River Advocate
Queanbeyan Age and Queanbeyan Observer
Sands Sydney and NSW Directories
Shoalhaven News and South Coast District Advertiser
Shoalhaven Telegraph
Singleton Argus
South Coast Times and Wollongong Argus
Southern Record and Advertiser
Southern Star
Sydney Morning Herald
Twofold Bay Magnet
Vogt, W. Stanley, “Picturesque Travel Princes Highway Bairnsdale to Bega”, n.d.
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