The Club House was built and opened in 1884 by Patrick Nash, but by 1885 was in the control of Alexander Shaw, grandson of Donald Shaw, who held the licence of several Bourke hotels at various times. Though a modest single-story brick building, it held an intriguing and colourful history that mirrored the vibrant and sometimes rugged character of Bourke itself.
The hotel became somewhat notorious for a string of tragedies with men dying (for various reasons) in or around the hotel in 1899, 1901, 1903 and 1906, along with other deaths and near misses during that period.
Between 1908 and 1921 the Club House shakily regained its reputation under publican William Pearce but he too succumbed to the Grim Reaper in 1926 after reaching the ripe age of 75.
In 1947, the licence was transferred by its owners, Tooth’s Brewery, to Leura, and the Tancred brothers, well-known as the proprietors of Bourke’s abattoirs, purchased the Club House Hotel with the intention of converting it into a boarding house. Only a year later, in 1948, the decision was made to demolish the Club House Hotel, marking the end of its long and storied existence.
Read Bruce Gray’s colourful account of the dark history of the Club House Hotel.
The Pubs & Breweries of Bourke
From its earliest days Bourke has always had a reputation as a drinking town and it’s no wonder as it was, in fact, founded by publicans!