From its establishment in 1884 until its demolition in 1963, the hotel played an integral role in the bustling life of the town, serving travellers, railway workers, and teamsters. Its proximity to key landmarks like the Cobb & Co factory, the Club House Hotel, and the East End Store, as well as a large parking area for bullock teams, made it a central destination during its heyday.
The hotel opened under its first licensee, Thomas Glover, in 1884, but it quickly saw a succession of licensees. William Deignan took over in 1886, followed by William Quinn in 1890, a particularly eventful year for the Railway Hotel. It hosted a crucial meeting of the Carriers’ Union, where local teamsters debated the contentious issue of camel transport, resulting in a union resolution prohibiting any merchant who dealt with camel carriers from trading with its members.
William Quinn’s fortunes declined following the 1890 flood, which caused damage to the hotel and led to his bankruptcy in 1891. The following years saw several other licensees come and go, including Thomas Hand in 1892, who later moved to the Club House Hotel. Percival Whittaker managed the hotel in 1894, followed by Samuel Charles Davis in 1895, who renamed it the Cambridge Hotel. Davis was a familiar figure in Bourke, having previously run the Royal Hotel, and he continued to work in other well-known establishments after his time at the Cambridge.
By 1906, under its final licensee, John Wade, the Cambridge Hotel’s days as a public house were numbered. The hotel was delicensed that same year, marking the end of its era as a licensed establishment. It remained open under the Cambridge Hotel name until 1912, when it was purchased by Samuel and Mrs. Conroy. They transformed it into a boarding house, transferring the name of their previous Sturt Street boarding house, the “Bushman’s Home,” to the former hotel.
In 1950, Jim McGregor purchased the aging building and converted part of it into a grocery shop, which he ran until 1955, after which he built a new shop alongside. By then, the once-prominent Bushman’s Home had deteriorated significantly. In 1963, the building was finally demolished.
Read Bruce Gray’s colourful account of the Cambridge Hotel here:
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!