A long, low, wooden building with verandahs and twin fireplaces, The Meryula Hotel operated for 28 years under several licensees. Most notably John Devitt, who was remembered as “one of the best-known residents of the district” in something of an obituary in the Cobar Herald on the 25 March 1905. John had operated the Meryula Hotel for around 17 years, with the licensee for the following year being recorded as Mary Devitt, presumably his widow.
A Colourful Challenge
On 16 July 1902, an unusual notice was issued from the Meryula Hotel, via the newspaper The Referee:
“Dear Amateur – I see in last week’s issue of ‘The Referee’ where Barney Supple of Narromine, challengers all-comers at 10(stone) 7(pounds) on behalf of some man he has got there. Well, I have got no side-wager, but if he wants a fight, I will take him on for 75 and 25 percent of the gate, provided he allows me the fee to Narromine. I wrote to Supple, care of Narromine PO, but received no reply. If he means business I should like to hear from him at once. Hoping you will publish this and thanking you in anticipation – I am &c..MICK DEVITT, Meryula Hotel, Cobar, July 4.”
The result of this correspondence is unknown. After the Devitts, the license was granted to John Weston Graham in 1906 who, in 1909, declared bankruptcy in mid-February. By March there was a notice in the Cobar Herald inviting tenders “for the purchase of the Meryula Hotel, comprising stock-in-trade, furniture, unexpired portion of the license and Goodwill.”. In July that same year a notice appeared that the licence for the Meryula Hotel was removed to Double Gates, “for the premises to be known as the Double Gates Hotel.”