View source for Hotels & Inns in Gawler since 1839

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The following information has been gathered with permission from “Hotels and Publicans in South Australia” by J.L. (Bob) Hoad Adelaide 1986 
ISBN 0 86745 002 9 and ISBN 0 9595446 2 3 

HOTELS & INNS  in GAWLER since 1839
Including Bassett Town, Evanston, Gawler Plains, Gawler South and Gawler West.

[[Bushman Hotel 10 Cowan Street|Bushman Inn]] – see Old Bushman<br />

[[Old Spot Hotel 77 Murray Street|Calton’s]] – see Old Spot<br />

[[The Southern Hotel 23 Murray Street|Commercial]] – see South End<br />

[[Criterion Tavern 18 Nineteenth Street|Criterion]] – see The Criterion<br />

[[Criterion Tavern 18 Nineteenth Street|Criterion Hotel]] - see The Criterion<br />

[[Criterion Tavern 18 Nineteenth Street|Criterion Tavern]] - see The Criterion<br />

[[Engine and Driver Hotel|Engine & Driver]]<br />

[[Exchange Hotel Murray Street 155|Exchange]]<br />

Family – See Railway Family<br />

[[Gawler Arms Hotel 102 Murray Street|Gawler Arms]]<br />

[[Gawler Belt Inn]]<br />

[[George Hotel Gawler Plains|George]]<br />

[[Kingsford Hotel 32 Murray Street|Globe]] - see Kingsford Hotel<br />

Globe Inn – see Kingsford Hotel<br />

[[Old Spot Hotel 77 Murray Street|Golden Fleece]] – see Old Spot – 77 Murray Street<br />

[[Grapes Hotel|Grapes]]<br />

[[Harp Hotel Gawler Plains|Harp]]<br />

[[Kingsford Hotel 32 Murray Street|Kingsford]]<br />

[[Mill Inn Gawler South|Mill]]<br />

[[Bushman Hotel 10 Cowan Street|New Bushman]]<br />

Old Bushman <br />

Old Bushman Hotel<br />

Old Bushman’s Hotel<br />

Old Bushman’s Inn<br />

[[Old Spot Hotel 77 Murray Street|Old Spot Inn]] – see Old Spot<br />

Old Spot Hotel – see Old Spot<br />

[[Old Spot Hotel 77 Murray Street|Old Spot]] – 77 Murray Street; formerly Golden Fleece, Calton’s, Old Spot Inn, and Old Spot Hotel<br />

[[Prince Albert Hotel 109 Murray Street|Prince Albert]]<br />

Prince Albert Inn – see Prince Albert<br />

[[Overway Hotel 27 Eighteenth Street|Railway]] – see Railway Family<br />

Railway Family<br />

Railway (and) Family – see Railway Family<br />
				
Railway Terminus – see Railway Family, 18th Street, Gawler<br />

[[Ram's Head Hotel Evanston|Ram’s Head]]<br />
				
[[Smith's Hotel|Smith’s]]<br />

[[The Southern Hotel 23 Murray Street|South End]] – was Commercial<br />

[[Sportsman's Hotel Gawler Plains|Sportsman’s]] – Gawler Plains<br />

[[Overway Hotel 27 Eighteenth Street|Terminus]] –see Railway Family<br />

[[Criterion Tavern 18 Nineteenth Street|The Criterion]]<br />

[[Victoria Mill|Victoria]]<br />

[[Willaston Hotel 33 Main North Road Willaston|Willaston]]<br />

[[Willaston Hotel (Original)|Willaston (original)]]<br />

Young’s – see New Bushman

Gawler’s Hotels

From The Bunyip, 11th February 1927

“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.

It was also fascinating to trace the titles of the hotels their extant in the neighbourhood, tracing such signs as Globe Inn, Murray street; Gawler Arms; Old Bushman; Old Spot Inn; Ernst Kopek/ Grapes Inn, Murray street; H. W. Buckerfield, Mill Inn, Gawler Bridge ; C. C. Crace, ' Ram's Head, Evanston ; Thomas Henry, Wheatsheaf Inn, Lyndoch Valley road ;Railway Hotel, Gawler west; Schmidt, Engine and Driver hotel, Bassett Town; Willaston hotel; Smithfield was described purely as publican ; with another at Penfield titled innkeeper; it was also noticed that Smithfield had a ‘second house’ kept by one John Smith. 

Peachey Belt had its inn, as did Salisbury have several. Lyndoch's hotel was then styled 'Lord Lyndoch' hotel; with another Barossa Inn, and there was another on the Sandy Creek Road, Gawler, known as the Bush Inn, kept by a George Ward ; with inns also at Williamstown and Templers. Doubtless there were many others, or some sprung up after that date, to again sink into oblivion. One may be recalled, the inn at Gawler Belt.”

By the late 1860’s Gawler had 14 hotels with a population of only 1,000 people! Gawler was a highly industrialised town with labour intense factories, foundries and mills. It was also a hub for the rural communities of the mid-north of South Australia. But it was the trade from the hard drinking bullockies travelling between Port Adelaide and Burra that also had a big influence on the establishment of so many hotels. As early as 1846 it was reported that some 400 bullock drays were employed on the “Great North Road” to the Burra mine.

Richard Taylor

Please [https://www.flickr.com/photos/gawler_history/sets/72157652202032306 click here] to see a list of publicans.<br />

[https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B4EjkA7CXbhAcHlGaDk3WVdReTA Click Here] to read Tony's "History from the Globe Inn, 1851 to the Kingsford Hotel, 2017".

We thank Tony for his contribution.

Also see      www.youtube.com/watch?v=xF92AdTpSpc&t=1961s

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|Related Articles=Kingsford Hotel 32 Murray Street, Prince Albert Hotel 109 Murray Street, Overway Hotel 27 Eighteenth Street, Bushman Hotel 10 Cowan Street,
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