HOTELS OF THE PAST.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 141, 16 June 1926, Page 16

HOTELS OF THE PAST.

WEEEE DO THEY GO ? SOME EARLY HISTORY. Auckland has added one to the number of its hotels, and the event has attracted vastly more attention than the problem of the unemployed or the increasing of the national indebtedness by several millions of pounds. In the old world hotels are among the scenic attractions, and history is written about inns of olden times. During its Sβ years of history, Auckland has had many hotels, but few of them seem to have survived the assaults of Father Time. A perusal of the report of the Licensing Bench that, held the annual licensing court in Auckland in 1851, when the white population of New Zealand numbered about 22,000 in nine settlements scattered over the colony, reveals that 18 houses that had previously held licenses secured renewals of the licenses, and two more houses were put on the list of those permitted to dispense alcoholic refreshment. Not that there were not other applicants, for 15 persons sought the favour of the Bench, which was composed of the resident magistrates. The police stated that in the previous year the population had not increased by more than one hundred adults and two or three hundred children. The names of the 20 houses duly licensed in 1851 were: Masonic Hotel. Princes Street; Royal Exchange, Shortland Street; Russell Wine Vaults, Shortland Street; Victoria Hotel. Fort Street; Caledonian Hotel. Fort Street; Osprey Inn. High Street; Trafalgar Inn, Queen Street; The Duke of Marlborough, Queen Street: Union Hotel, Queen Street; in which street also were the Greyhound Inn and White Hart Hotel, the Crown and Anchor was situated in West Queen Street, while the Clanricarde Hotel was in Albert Street: the Masons' Home graced Official Bay and the new Windsor Castle (the old one on College Hill was burned down in 1850), was in Parnell; the Royal George, in Newmarket, commenced operations in 1848; the Prince Albert Jnn supplied the wants of Epsom, while the Sir George Grey was the popular rendezvous in Otahuhu; there was also a Prince Albert Inn along Shortland Street and a Half-way House on Epsom Road. The names of the White Hart, the Royal George and the Windsor Castle have weathered the vicissitudes of 76 years; the old Clanricarde building, in Albert Street, was pulled down a few months ago, though few of the passers-by who noticed the old cellars uncovered by the work gangs, realised that they had onco sheriered hogsheads and butts and even tuns.

The patron in those days had his choice of Tooth's Ale, Allsops' Burton Ale, No. 3; Truman's London Stout, Taylor's ditto, Barclay's bottled, Geneva and rum.