The Evandale Hotel was owned by George Colless Evans, who was born in 1837 and who died at the hotel in 1883. It was a key Cobb and Co stop on the major route from Walgett to Narrabri. The route followed the Namoi River all the way along, often veering out away from the floodplain to avoid the swollen river.
Between the Evandale Hotel site and Come By Chance is a culvert where the Come By Chance Creek, meandering away from the Namoi, comes to the edge of the road. This is known as Loafers Point, a resting place for those tramping away from Come By Chance, hoping to either catch a coach, or rest and wait where there was available water, and potentially work. Pastoralists in the area would call in to Loafers Point and procure a few days labour when required, although the paddock behind Loafers Point indicates that the dry walk across the plain could have been risky for some. It is known as Deadman’s Paddock.
The demise of the old Evandale Hotel wasn’t by fire as was so often the case in these outback inns, but by human hand, as the pub was demolished in around 1900. The timber and iron were relocated to build the Evans family home, which has since been replaced twice – hence the modern homestead that stands today at Evandale, Come By Chance
