William Street – Launceston Hotels

*** Market House Tavern

January 15, 2026 by Xenith

St John & William Street

QUARTERLY LICENSING MEETING.- The Quarterly meeting of justices for considering applications for transfer and granting licences for public houses, was held on Monday, when the following justices assembled :- W. H. Breton, Esq, chairman, William Tarleton, Esq., P.M., H. Welman, Esq., C. S Henty, Esq.; A. Gardiner, Esq., James Robertson, Esq.. D’Arcy Wentworth, Esq, W. G. Sams, Esq.- Transfer:-The following transfer was granted: Benjamin Hyrons to James Whiting, “Angel Inn,” Charles-street. New Licences: -The following new licences granted with very little discussion, Mr. Tarleton alone opposing: William Bryant, “The Market House,” St. John and William streets; John King, “York Wine Vaults,” York-street; William Smart, “Lamb & Flag,” Bathurst and York streets; William Webb, “Jolly Anglers,” Wellington street; Augustus Wood, ” Macquarie Hotel,” George Town.
Launceston Examiner, 3 November 1847

cornwall-chronicle-13-november-1847
Cornwall Chronicle, 13 November 1847

Licensing Meeting. -The following transfers were allowed by the magistrates on Monday–To J. Will, the “Tam o’Shanter, Upper Canning-street; to W. Bryant, junr, the Market Tavern, St. John street; to S. Story, the Albion Inn, Cocked Hat; to J. Harvey the Brisbane Inotel, Brisbane-street; to J. Clydesdale, the Royal Hotel, Wellington-street. A license for a new house on the river could not be granted, the number being complete. An application to transfer the license for the Horse and Jockey to J. Cole, was allowed to drop. At an adjourned meeting, held yesterday, a license was granted to Messrs. Hyrons and Myers for the new river steamer Governor Wynyard.
Launceston Examiner, 9 February 1854

Sailor’s Return

September 16, 2023December 9, 2016 by Xenith

Cnr St John & William Streets. Google Maps.

The building marked with a red 1 is the Ship. If the Sailor’s Return is on the corner of St John St and William St and opposite the Ship, it must be the building marked with a red 2. (Click for a larger version. From Smythe, H. W. H., Plan of the town of Launceston, VDL, 1835)

1832 John Dunn, Sailor’s Return, St John Street
1833-34 William Mellish, Sailor’s Return, St John Street
1835-36 John Tildesly, Sailor’s Return, St John St

Lame Dog — Golden Lion — Prince Alfred — Tamar Hotel

May 6, 2017December 9, 2016 by Xenith

39 William Street. Google maps.

Currently, a visitors centre for nearby Boags Brewery.

1831 George Radford, William Street
1832-33 George Radford, Lame Dog, William Street*
1833-41 George Radford, Golden Lion, William Street*
1841-44 George Radford Jnr, Golden Lion, William Street
1844-46 Richard Wicks, Golden Lion, William Street
1846-48 George Radford Snr, Golden Lion, William Street
1848-53 Mary Radford, Golden Lion, William Street
1853-61 John Bowater, Golden Lion, William Street
1862-63 James Ley, Golden Lion, William Street

1866-68 Thomas Flude, Golden Lion, William Street
1868 J. F. Hobkirk (Insolvent Estate)
1868-69 Frederick Jones, Prince Albert Hotel, William Street
1869 Arthur Jones, Prince Alfred Hotel, William Street
1869 William Fisher, Prince Alfred Hotel, William Street
1870 Robert Miller, Prince Alfred Hotel, William Street
1870 Medmer Lushington Goodwin, Prince Alfred Hotel
1871-74 Abraham Banks, Tamar Hotel, William Street
1874-89 Benjamin Crow, Tamar Hotel, Wellington St
1880-83 Steel Trail, Tamar Hotel, Wellington St
1883-89 Andrew Anderson, Tamar Hotel, William Street
1889-93 Edward Holehan, Tamar Hotel, William Street
1893-96 William Stephen Bassett, Tamar Hotel, William Street
1896-97 Vincent Warrington, Tamar Hotel, William Street
1897 Michael Tierney, Tamar Hotel, William Street
1898-1900 William Douglas Burns, Tamar Hotel, William Street

*I’m not sure if the Lame Dog became the Golden Lion, but in October 1833 Radford gives his address at “Lame Dog, William Street” and two months later, he’s granted a licence for the Golden Lion, so even if he constructed a new building to be the Lion, there is a continuity of ownership.

——————————
From a lecture by Mr. E. Whitfield, 1897
At the foot of George-street there was a ferry, and near that ferry stood another public house. It was named the “Lame Dog.” Poor doggie, is depicted on the signboard, was a deplorable looking object with oneleg in a sling, and beneath were the lines:
“Step in my friends and rest awhile,
And help a lame dog over the stile.”
The Tamar Hotel, in William-street, was once known as the “Golden Lion,” but prior to that it went by the name of the “Sawyers’ Arms.” Here [on the sign] two able-bodied sawyers were seen working at a pit, and the words beneath were-“Halt, mate, let’s drink.”
Launceston Examiner, 6 February 1897

From response to Mr Whitfield’s lecture by William King:
I should like as briefly as possible to point out where Mr. Whitfeld is at sea re public houses. In the first place he says the Tamar Hotel was at one time the Sawyers’ Arms. Now, Sir, a man named Radford, who had been a soldier, built this house, obtained a license, and named it the Golden Lion. I am quite sure it was not at any time the Sawyers’ Arms. The two-story building opposite the Park gates, with a verandah top and bottom, was the Sawyers’ Arms, kept by Antoni Martini. In the year 1842 he let it to a man named Clark, who was a leading cricketer in those days; and he removed the license to the Royal Oak, corner of Brisbane and Tamar streets.
Launceston Examiner, 17 July 1897

Globe (3)

September 27, 2019April 5, 2016 by Xenith

George and William Streets. Possible location.

This is a T-junction, so there are only two corners, and the prisoner barracks/penitentiary was on the SW corner. The remaining SE corner is this one:

1835 James Griffiths, Globe Inn, Launceston
1836 Thomas Faro, Globe Inn, George & William Streets

Launceston Advertiser, 4 June 1835

Cornwall Chronicle, 8 August 1835

Launceston Advertiser, 18 February 1836

Cornwall Chronicle, 5 November 1836

Cornwall Chronicle, 8 July 1837

Ship Inn (2, 4)

January 23, 2026January 17, 2016 by Xenith

George and Cimitiere Streets
cnr St John & William Streets

The building marked with a red 1 was the Ship and the red 2 is the Sailor’s Return, later Market Tavern. (Click for a larger version. From Smythe, H. W. H., Plan of the town of Launceston, VDL, 1835)

?
1827?-1828 John McDiarmid, Ship Inn, George St
1829 John McDiarmid, Ship Inn, St John St
1829 Patrick Carolan, Ship Inn, St John & William St
–>Moved to Charles Street.
+This site became Commercial Hotel and then Star & Garter and then Ship again.
1835-37 James Whitehead, Ship Inn, Wharf/St John Street
1837-50 Robert Brand, Ship Inn, St John Street
1851-55 Mary Ann Brand, Ship Inn, St John & William Streets
1855-57 Thomas Wells, Ship Inn, St John & William Streets
1857 Burnt down. New location refused.
(Later located at the Wharf)

Launceston Advertiser, 10 August 1829

Mr. Mc Diarmid is an Inhabitant of Launceston, who after having with honor to himself, and satisfaction to the Public, conducted himself from his arrival in the Colony (and at home he was highly respectable) became about the year 1827 a Licensed Victualler. He however found a public business not congenial to his feelings, or even consistent with his habits as a Practical Brewer, and therefore in September last relinquished the Ship Inn in favor of Mr Carolan, since which he has supplied the Town with Ginger Beer by wholesale quantities.
Launceston Advertiser, 22 February 1830

Commercial Tavern (2)

April 29, 2017January 16, 2016 by Xenith

Cnr St John Street and William Street.

Previously Ship Inn
1830 Alexander Wales, Commercial Tavern, St Johns Street
1832 George Dodery, Commercial Tavern, Wharf
Later Star & Garter & Ship Inn

In 1830, under “New Licenses Granted”:
Alexander Wales, Commercial Tavern, Saint John’s-street

Launceston Advertiser, 18 October 1830

TO COMMERCIAL GENTLEMAN, NEWLY ARRIVED EMIGRANTS, TRAVELLING FAMILIES, AND THE PUBLIC IN GENERAL.
Mr. GEORGE DODERY, formerly Proprietor of the Canning Tavern, at Sydney, and subsequently conductor of the “King’s Arms,” in Launceston, takes leave, in respectfully thanking a generous community for the patronage already shown him, to announce that he has entered into possession of those most eligibly situated, conveniently arranged, and extensive Premises, known as THE COMMERCIAL TAVERN, at the Wharf, which he, at a very considerable expense has earnestly endeavored to fit and improve so as to afford all possible accommodation. Mr. Dodery will be found at all times solicitous to make his House a Home for every becoming Guest, however humble. Boarders will be received on the lowest terms compatible with the expense of a good Table, and with the principle of economy. The premises comprise seven Travellers’ Chambers, a Billiard Room, Two excellent Parlors, the accommodation of a small but Select Library, in conjunction with all the papers published in this Colony, and at Sydney ; and an uniform desire on the parts of him self, his wife, his son, and the servants, to be come patronised by deserving patronage.
The Shades, which are attached to the “The Commercial Tavern,” are well known by the Jolly Sons of Neptune, whose continued support is, with gratitude for past favors, hereby entreated.
Merchants, or others, having occasion to meet in a retired room, for the arrangement of business, will experience at Mr. Dodery’s, every attention.
TERMS MODERATE.
N. B. The Billiard Room will be opened for the accommodation of the Public, on the 2nd proximo.
EXCELLENT STABLING.
Launceston Advertiser, 15 November 1832