Ralph Snowball photo of the Grand Hotel in Bolton Street, Newcastle. During my time as a journalist this was a popular spot for stop-work meetings in times of industrial strife.
In times gone by hotels were often among the grandest buildings in many Australian towns. Not surprising, since they generally made their owners a decent income, and a substantial investment in good quality food, drink and accommodation facilities could pay a handsome dividend. Hotels were meeting places for locals, resting places for visitors, temporary offices and display rooms for travelling salesmen (“commercial travellers” as these were known) and centres for important public events and private functions. As a result, hotels often feature in old postcards and collections of photographs, which makes them an interesting and useful study for changing townscapes.
Huge numbers of photographs of Hunter Region hotels exist, with many of them online in various locations. Legendary Newcastle photographer Ralph Snowball alone took a great many hotel photos, presumably hoping to sell a print or two to the owners and licensees.
Here are a few hotel photos from my collection.
The Premier Hotel at the Nine Ways, Broadmeadow, 1922.
A later version of the Premier, photographed from the same spot , probably in the late 1930s or early 1940s.
The Criterion Hotel on the corner of Hunter and Bolton Streets, Newcastle. Presumably a Great War event.
From The Sydney Mail, December 23, 1899.
The Criterion in later years – probably 1940s or early 1950s.
The Newcastle Rifles Hotel, The Junction. It was demolished to make way for the Grand Junction Hotel. The Junction Hotel now stands on the site.
The Merewether Hotel, on Railway Street, Merewether, circa 1948. According to Ed Tonks: “This hotel was first licensed on 13 October 1887 as the Grand Primo Hotel. Name change to Merewether Hotel occurred from 13 October 1890. Hotel building in your photo carried the year 1921. From 5 November 1957 the name of the hotel changed again to the Mary Ellen after a former licensee, Mary Ellen Thomas.”
Two lovely views of Mitchell’s Swansea Hotel.
The Seaham Hotel thrived in the years of coaches and bullock teams, but motor traffic and the North Coast Railway took away much of its trade. Its last licensee was Jack Lawrie, who gave it up and moved to the Caledonian Hotel at Singleton. The abandoned Seaham Hotel building burned down in September 1935.
Two great views of Dawson’s Windsor Castle Hotel at East Maitland.A very early image of the Cessnock Hotel.The Railway Hotel at Cessnock, with a motley assortment of buses parked outside.The Empire Hotel at Scone. Helpfully labelled by a postcard correspondent.Mrs Flood’s The Australian Inn, at Stroud. Mrs Flood’s hotel operated in Stroud for more than 20 years until 1914.Green’s Commercial Hotel, Gloucester, circa 1906.
Great photo of the Grand Hotel Bolton Street . This is where Friends of Newcastle Ocean Baths Incorporated have our meetings. We are not meeting re industrial strife issues but certainly trying to save our Ocean Baths, so nice to be part of history. The current owners have done a great renovation inside and thrown out the poker machines.
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Great photo of the Grand Hotel Bolton Street . This is where Friends of Newcastle Ocean Baths Incorporated have our meetings. We are not meeting re industrial strife issues but certainly trying to save our Ocean Baths, so nice to be part of history. The current owners have done a great renovation inside and thrown out the poker machines.