A photograph capturing the outside of the Railway Hotel in Queen St, Warragul c1913.
This photograph captures a car and inspectors from the Country Roads Board being welcomed to the hotel.
Reputed to be the grandest hotel in Warragul, it hosted a variety of dinners and meetings for VIPS, including this Country Roads Board meeting. The sign on the second level reads "Good Roads Mean Gippsland's Prosperity" and "Warragul Appreciates Boards Fine Work".
Pouring its last drinks this week, the Railway Hotel first opened in 1879. In this year, original owner George Streitberg gained a liquor license after building a one-storey timber hotel.
The hotel was purchased by Mrs and Mrs Rhoden in 1880 and was rebuilt as a brick two-storey hotel in 1888.
A devastating fire in 1888 destroyed 12 shops between the current Warragul Gazette office and the Railway Hotel. It was only the brick rebuild which stopped the spread of the fire to the rest of the town.
When reopened in 1889, the hotel boasted 30 upstairs bedrooms with a view of the internal fernery. A feature was the iron lace decoration along the top of the veranda.
At the time of the photograph, Mr Nicholls was the licensee. Dave Rhoden's stables were located at the back of the hotel and could be accessed via Williams Lane.
The hotel was modernised in the 1930s with an art-deco veranda.
However, the veranda was demolished on council orders in 1967. They ruled all post-supported verandas had to be removed as they would be a danger if hit by a vehicle. A cantilever veranda was built in its place.
Photograph and information courtesy of the Warragul and District Historical Society.
The society's museum is located in the Old Shire Hall at 72 Queen St, Warragul. Run by a group of dedicated volunteers, the museum has a large collection of objects, photographs, records and a library. Entry is by donation.
The museum opens to the public every Thursday from 10am to 2pm and on the second and fourth Sunday of the month from 2pm to 4pm.