History of the Railway Hotel.
In one form or another, the Railway Hotel has stood proudly on the corner of Hoskins and Parkes streets for well over a century. The current Edwardian period hotel, with its corrugated iron roof and cast-iron balustrades, replaced an earlier wooden structure which first occupied the site under the sign of the ‘Golden Fleece Hotel’.
In 1880 William Wesley sold his Golden Fleece Hotel on the Gulgong goldfield to move to Temora to establish a hotel by the same name on the new field. William built a weatherboard hotel boasting 20- rooms (exclusive of those required for the family) and held the license from September 1880 until July 1881 when it passed to Joseph Gundry. Mr Gundry established a bottle department, provided counter lunches, and kept Colonial and Intercolonial newspapers on file.
In early November 1882 Joseph Gundry disposed of the hotel to William Henry Sawbridge, who held the license until 1886 before selling to James Walsh in order to take over the Royal Hotel. After twelve months, James Walsh sold the Golden Fleece Hotel back to its original owner, Williamm Wesley who conducted it until 1893. On 3rd September that year, the must anticipated railway opened, linking Temora to Cootamundra on the mail southern line. Wesley sold the hotel to Robert Todd who renamed it the Railway Hotel to capitalize on the expected increase in trade from that source.
Over the next decade the license of the Railway passed through the hands of Henry Ponting, 1987, Willian George Goodin Lucas 1898-1900, Anthony Charles G Melzer 1901 – 1903 and finally to Richard A Corbett by 1904.
In July 1903, Mr Richard Corbett, who had been long connected with the coaching business, had taken over the Railway Hotel. He had for many years worked on the coach line between Cootamundra and Temora, and later on the line from Temora to Barmedman and West Wyalong.
In August 1904-08 rates records indicated the improved value of the Railway Hotel at this time was 450 pounds.
In December 1907, tenders were called to rebuild in brick, the Railway Hotel (20 rooms) for Richard Corbett opened his fin new two storied brick building, exactly five years after assuming proprietorship of the Railway Hotel. The new hotel was built by Mr Knowles, and the architect was Mr Laver of Cootamundra.
Following Richard Corbett’s death in 1911, ownership changed to his wife, Bridget Mary Corbett. Patrick Byrnes leased the hotel from her until he moved to Sydney in 1922. Mr Bernie Costigan took over the license from Bridget in 1927, but she retailed ownership of the building until her death in 1948.
In May 1931, fire broke out in the ceiling of the second floor of the hotel, and extensive damage was done to the interior of the building by fire and water. The whole of the second floor was completely gutted, and most of the roof fell in. The building was insured for 5,000 pounds and the furniture for 1,700 pounds. Damage was estimated at 2,500 pounds. Mr Leslie L Keane was the licensee at the time.
Mr JE McDonnell took over the license in 1935. The improvement value of the hotel according to the 1938-40 rates was 6,300 pounds.
In July 1949, after nearly half a century in the Corbett family, the freehold of the Railway Hotel was bought by Mr George Clout for 12,000 pounds at public auction in Sydney. Mr Clout had taken over the license of the hotel from Mrs Corbett in 1939.
The Clout family held the licensee until 1962, and retained ownership of the building until they sold to the Donaldsons in 1980. Since then, the hotel has changed hands on numerous occasions.
The Boswells, purchased the freehold of the Railway Hotel in 2024.