Free Settler or Felon
Convict and Colonial History




The Traveller's Home

Murrurundi


The Travellers Home premises were owned by James Henry Atkinson.

Ralph George Martin

The licence for the Traveller's Arms was held by Ralph George Martin in 1837. By 1839 he had moved to the Aberdeen Hotel.

John Campbell

John Campbell was granted a licence for the Traveller's Home in June 1840. [1]

James Henry Atkinson

The licence was held by James Henry Atkinson in June 1841.

Richard South arrived as a steerage passenger with family members John South and William South on the City of Edinburgh in May 1837. In 1841 Richard South was publican at the Traveller's Home. He had a narrow escape from bushrangers while travelling alone near Singleton. He was taken prisoner and held at gunpoint by bushrangers later to be known as the Jewboy Gang. They robbed him of his horse, saddle and bridle. He managed to make his escape on this occasion however, the gang did not forget and three weeks later when they rode into Pages River, one of them - John Marshall - threatened to deal with Richard South before they left the Traveller's Home Inn. [2]

William Caldwell Burrows

A licence for the Travellers Home was issued to William Caldwell Burrows in June 1842.

The Inn was advertised for lease in 1843

The old established and well known Inn called the Traveller's Home' on the great Northern Road to Liverpool Plains and New England, and situated at Pages River, Murrurundi. The Inn is a commodious building containing four sitting rooms eight bed rooms pantries and servant's bed rooms; as also attached Bar and Tap, neatly fitted up with bed rooms for travellers and every other suitable convenience. The detached buildings consist of excellent stables, hay lofts and granaries, coach house, large store, kitchen and servants' apartment above, court yard pailed in, with a never failing well of good water in the centre, piggeries, calf pens, cooperage, and every accommodation for a public establishment; and which has been carried on as a profitable and money making business for a period of six years. [3]

Attached to the Inn was a good garden, stocked with choice fruit trees and vegetables, two paddocks and also astockyard, which was being used as a public pound near the inn[4]

Henry Bishop Butler

Henry Bishop Butler was granted a publicans' licence in December 1846 [1]. He took over at the Woolpack Inn, Murrurundi in 1847.

David Teys

David Teys was advertising the Travellers Home Inn in September 1848 [5]

In June 1852 he announced that he was moving from his usual abode to premises in the centre of Murrurundi opposite the Court House where he intended to carry on business as usual under the original sign (late Phoenix). He offered well selected spirits etc as well as stables and moderate accommodation charges and included the following verse in his ad:

It's true that long looked for reform is past,
For that ancient old sign is shifted at last;
So if ever you travel the Great Northern Road
Call at this inn and take your abode;
You can't make a mistake, its so very well known,
For the welcome old sign is the Traveller's Home'

William J. Innes

In September 1852 William J. Innes announced that he had 'fitted up and re opened at considerable expense the old established house at Murrurundi previously known as the Travellers Home. It was to be known under the sign of the Maryville Inn. The publican's licence granted to him in 1854 states William James Innes of Buttonton, issued a Publican's General licence for the House under the sign of the Maryville Inn situated at Buttonton in the district of Murrurundi. [1]

The Inn was said to be well placed to capture the trade of the diggers en route to the Hanging Rock Gold Diggings

References

[1] State Archives NSW; Series: 14401; Item: [4/76-77]; Reel: 5059.. Ancestry.com. New South Wales, Australia, Certificates for Publicans' licences, 1830-1849, 1853-1860

[2] Australasian Chronicle 25 February 1841

[3] Maitland Mercury 25 November 1843

[4] Maitland Mercury 2 December 1843

[5] Sydney Herald 13 September 1841