SE cnr Brisbane & Wellington Streets. Google Maps, approximate location.
Demolished 1894
SE cnr Brisbane & Wellington Streets. (2015)
1826 George Burgess, Black Swan, Launceston
1827-9 George Burgess, Black Swan, Launceston
? see College Arms
1831 Thomas Caryl, Black Swan, Launceston*
1831-34 Neil Campbell, Black Swan, Brisbane Street
1834 Adam Moore
1835-37 George Archer, Black Swan
1838 William Mason, Black Swan
1839 Thomas Dudley, Black Swan Wine Vaults, Brisbane & Wellington Streets
1840-42 Thomas Dudley, Black Swan, Wellington St/Brisbane St
1843-45 James Childs, Black Swan, Brisbane and Wellington streets
1846 License refused
Became Wilmot Arms
Photo of Wellington St, with Brisbane St intersection on the very right. The light coloured building on that corner is the Wilmot Arms (name is along the top), which is a facade around the older Black Swan. (If the link doesn’t work, try searching “Tasmanian Archives tab for 147-4-214)
From a lecture by Mr E. Whitfield. 1897:
In 1820 came the first public house, “The Black Swan,” kept by G. Burgess, corner of Brisbane and Wellington streets. Then came in 1823 the Launceston, the Plough Inn, kept by W. Field, where Hart and Sons are now, and the Hope and Anchor, kept by Nat. Lucas. The Launceston Hotel ,was built by Richard White, familiarly known as “Dicky White.”
Launceston Examiner, 6 February 1897
Extracts from Examiner story, “Colourful Old Hostelries”:
The first hotel in Launceston was the Black Swan, built in 1820, and kept by G. Burgess, an old whaler. It stood on the corner of Brisbane and Wellington streets and was after wards known as the Wilmot Arms before it was pulled down.
…
In Brisbane St. where the Enfleld (now McClymont’s), Cleary’s (now Tuck’s shop), Wilmot Arms (now a motor garage), Noah’s Ark (at corner of Margaret St.), Glenfield House, Barber’s Hotel (now Routley’s and the adjoining bank) and the Fire Brigade (now the Imperial).
Examiner, 12 March 1946
(Note: there’s no evidence of the existence of the Black Swan prior to 1827, not of George Burgess being a publican. He might well have been an “old whaler” but the year before his occupation is listed as laborer and he was apparently born about 1796, so barely 30 years old.)
Colonial Times, 13 July 1827
On Saturday Messrs. Gordon, Kenworthy, and Simpson met at the court house to grant licenses for the ensuing year. Mr. Gordon left early to proceed to George town to hold an inquest upon a Constable who had been shot while on duty at the female factory at that place, from which a woman named Sullivan made her escape the same night. Messrs. Kenworthy and Simpson then licensed 10 of the former Publicans, and also granted licenses to four new applicants, and refused to re-license John Fawkner, Junr. Mr. Geo. Burgess, and Mr. J. H. Jackson, and upon being applied to by them for time to dispose of their stock, Mr. Simpson said no time could be granted, although one or two have large stocks on hand. Why did the Magistrates visit these houses with out finding any fault with their accommodations, when they had determined not to license them, but to license others with most obviously inferior accommodations?
Launceston Advertiser, 28 September 1829
Hobart Town Courier, 30 July 1831
Launceston Advertiser, 20 October 1834
Launceston Advertiser, 9 February 1835
Hobart Town Courier, 29 May 1835
Launceston Advertiser, 15 October 1835
Cornwall Chronicle, 21 October 1835
Cornwall Chronicle, 15 June 1839
Cornwall Chronicle, 4 April 1840
Cornwall Chronicle, 3 April 1841
Launceston Advertiser, 16 March 1843
Launceston Advertiser, 23 March 1843
Launceston Advertiser, 6 July 1843
Launceston Advertiser, 10 August 1843
Cornwall Chronicle, 7 September 1844
Launceston Advertiser, 4 October 1844
Cornwall Chronicle, 26 October 1844
Cornwall Chronicle, 18 December 1844
From “Police Report”:
William Gould, a labouring man, de posed, that on Wednesday night last, he went with two companions to pass the night at the Black Swan, public-house; lie bad then in t possession the sum of £20, fife, five pound, and four one pound notes. About four o’clock the following morning an alarm of fire was given, and Mr. Childs (the landlord of the house) called deponent and enquired whether he would like to accompany him to the scene of conflagration? Deponent answered in the affirmative, and they accordingly went together. On their return deponent went into a back parlour and lay down upon a sofa, wbere.be soon after fell asleep, Before doing so, however, he took the precaution of securing his money, by removing it from his fob pocket and placing it under his serge shirt ; his two com pinions also slept in the tame apartment A little before dawn something startled deponent from his slumber, and on waking he almost immediately missed his money. His lamentations speedily aroused the other sleepers to whom he made known his loss. They were both in the act of protesting their entire innocence of the theft when they were interrupted by the entrance of the landlord, who enquired what was the matter! Upon being informed, he called deponent several hard names and almost at the same instant knocked him down. He repeated his ill-usage three or four times, and inflicted on deponent the dreadfully contused countenance which was exhibited to the bench. Hs companions did not say anything nor mike any attempt to interfere during the during the progress of the attack ; deponent said nothing whatever to Mr. Childs calculated to draw upon him the violent treatment he experienced ; he simply complained of having lost his money.
[continued]
The Cornwall Chronicle, 18 June 1845
Launceston Examiner, 18 June 1845
James Childs, Black Swan.- Strong objections were raised against this application by the police magistrate, some of them touching the character of the applicant, which we do not feel warranted in publishing. The house was said to be dirty, frequented by sharpers, card playing allowed amongst improper characters; one conviction. The police magistrate stated also, that a man had been swindled out of a horse by some sharpers in this house.
Mr. Wales, in reference to something that fell from the police magistrate, thought it was unfair to condemn a man upon hearsay evidence.
Mr. Breton enquired what was the general character of the house ?
Mr. Tarleton : my report says bad.
Mr. Dry said the meeting was unanimous, or at least he believed they were unanimous upon one point, that there were by far too many licensed houses in this town. The publican of respectable character had to compete with those who did not scruple at the means by which they gained money. Seeing the necessity of reducing the number of licenses, they should be governed by the characters of the applicants, and strike off those who encouraged fraud and debauchery for the sake of profit.
The application was refused unanimously.
Launceston Examiner, 5 September 1846
Cornwall Chronicle, 4 November 1846
REMOVAL OF AN OLD LANDMARK.
Another of the old buildings which have been associated in the minds of residents of long standing with the scenes and episodes of a past half century has been demolished. The place to which reference is made is the late Wilmot Arms, which stood for very many years at the corner of Brisbane and Wellington streets.
. . .
Since 1882 the building has not been licensed, and after being empty for some little time Mr Williams, cab proprietor, took possession, and he remained there for some years. He left it for four years, and again became tho tenant until some two years ago, when it was subsequently taken by another cab proprietor, Mr Wallace. He removed, and the old house became tenantless. It belonged to the Solomon Estate, and while empty it was gradually allowed to decay and become dilapidated. The windows were broken, the fences were in a bad way, and same two weeks ago what remained of an hotel which had seen many changes, and the proprietors of which had experienced many ups and downs during their colonial careers, was demolished. The allotment of land is an exceptionally good building site, but it is now vacant, a new paling fence having been erected to keep trespassers off.
Daily Telegraph, 23 June 1894