NW cnr Balfour & Bathurst Streets. Google Maps.
July 2016
1888 John Walsh, Centennial Hotel, Balfour and Bathurst Streets Street
1898+ Ernest Alfred Fawkner, Centennial Hotel, Balfour and Bathurst Streets Street
From “Annual Licensing Meeting”:
The application for the Jolly Butchers had special features. The house had been established for a number of years, and the tenant, Mr. Walsh, wished to purchase it when it was offered for sale by public auction, but the biddings did not reach the reserve, and then Mr. Walsh. proceeded to build the Centennial Hotel on the opposite side of the street and asked for a new license. Mr. E. Byron Miller appeared in support of Mr. Bachfield’s application, which was deferred until that of Mr. Walsh’s was before the bench, when, after deliberation, the application of Mr. Bachfield was refused, for the Jolly Butchers premises, although the proprietor had promised to re-model the premises so as to adapt them to modern requirements.
The Tasmanian, 8 December 1888
From “Annual Licensing Meeting”:
Jolly Butchers Hotel and Centennial Hotel.–Mr B. B. Miller applied for a license to be granted for the former house to James Bachfield, and opposed the granting of a license for the latter to John Walsh on behalf of Mr John Joyce, the owner of the Jolly Butchers Hotel. Mr Collins applied on behalf of Walsh for the grant of a license for the Centennial Hotel Mr Collins, in supporting the latter application, put in a petition in support of it being granted signed by 77 freeholders and 87 leaseholders. He stated that the new building contained 15 rooms, stables, and all necessary outbuildings, and, if anything, was too good for the locality. As to the question whether it was wanted or not, he thought his client was the best judge of that, as he would not have laid out his money if he had not thought it was required. A license gave no vested interest, and if a house were found unfit it might be taken away or allowed to lapse. Mr Miller handed in two similar petitions to those that had been read against the granting of licenses to other new houses, and stated that the Jolly Butchers had been established for 30 years, and had always been well-conducted, and as there was no opposition, he thought the application should be granted to Mr Bachfield. Walsh had been Mr Joyce’s tenant for many years, and it was not until they could not come to terms as to purchase and sale that Walsh erected a house opposite. He thought such a house would make a good coffee palace, and the starting of these would increase the accommodation without adding to the number of the public-houses, but he did not think the erection of a new house should be a reason for doing away with an old one, where there was no other opposition. Superintendent Armstrong stated Bachfield had always managed his former house at Hall’s Track well, although it was a very difficult house to conduct respectably. The Bench retired, and 10 minutes later returned into Court, and granted the license to Walsh for the Centennial, and refused that to Bachfield for the Jolly Butchers Hotel.
Daily Telegraph, 4 December 1888
SHORTLY before 2 o’clock on Sunday morning a determined attempt was made to burglariously enter the Centennial Hotel, at the corner of Bathurst and Balfour streets. At the house mentioned Mrs Walsh, wife of the licensee, was lying awake in bed when she was considerably startled by hearing the sound of glass breaking downstairs. She immediately called her husband, who looked out on the street but saw no one. He then went downstairs, and discovered that one of the bar windows had been broken. The glass bears evidences of having been cut with a diamond; and the intention appears to have been to cut a piece large enough out of the window to allow the burglar to get his hand through, so as to unfasten this catch. In performing this, however, he must have slipped and fallen against the window, with the result that the glass fell inwards, carrying the wire screen with it. The noise apparently alarmed the would-be thief, who decamped without annexing any spoil. Mr Walsh informed the police of the occurrence, and they are investigating the affair.
Launceston Examiner, 19 January 1892
From “City Police Court”
John Walsh, landlord of the Centennial Hotel, was summoned for having allowed a person not a lodger or inmate to be on his licensed premises on Sunday, the 19th inst. Defendant pleaded guilty, but explained that the person whom be had admitted was attending a funeral, and had called for an umbrella which he had left there the pre ceding night. The police magistrate said he was glad to have an opportunity of publicly expressing his appreciation of the way in which Mr Walsh kept his hotel. For many years he had been the licensee of the house, and he (the police magistrate) could honestly say it was the best kept hotel in the city. There had never been a suspicion of Mr Walsh’s conduct as a publican, and the Bench had much pleasure in not inflicting a penalty, as they accepted his statement in good faith. The charge against the person who called for the umbrella was withdrawn.
Daily Telegraph, 29 May 1895
Centennial Hotel.-These well-known premises has been lighted by electricity by the City Council officials to the order of Mr. John Walsh. Ten 32 candle-power lights have been fixed, and six eight candle-powers. The installation has been done to the full satisfaction of the licensee.
16 June 1896