Railway Hotel, Lilydale

1884-85 Gottlieb Sulzberger, Railway Hotel, Upper Piper
1885-86 John Crisp, Railway Hotel, Upper Piper
1886-87 George Cunningham, Railway Hotel, Upper Piper (new building)
1887-88 William Henry West, Railway Hotel, Upper Piper
1889-90 William H. West, Railway Hotel, Lilydale
1890-91 Gottlieb Sulzberger, Railway Hotel, Lilydale
1891 Frank J. Somerville, Railway Hotel, Lilydale
1891-92 John William Stevenson, Railway Hotel, Lilydale
1892 Edward Williams, Railway Hotel, Lilydale
1893 Gottlieb Sulzberger, Railway Hotel, Lilydale
1893 David Hamilton Johnston, Railway Hotel, Lilydale

Gottlieb Sulzberger, the enterprising son of German settlers, opened the first licensed hotel in 1884 on his property near the intersection of Lalla and Main Roads . . . The ten-roomed timber Railway Hotel adjoined Sulzberger’s house and post office/ store; however, after the first year it was leased to a licensee. The hotel’s name was possibly chosen because the building was situated within about 150 metres of the railway line under construction through his property, and possibly also suggesting that Sulzberger anticipated trade associated with the railway. No doubt there was considerable custom from railway workers during the construction phase, both for accommodation and for refreshments. After the line opened in 1889, the hotel would not have been especially well located for associated trade as the station was some distance away on the north-western outskirts of the settlement (more than a kilometre via Main and Station Roads, although there may have been a more direct track at the time). At some stage Sulzberg ererected a new Railway Hotel, still on his farm block but near its northern boundary and fronting onto the Main Road. This remained open as licensed premises until 1893. Part of this building is said to survive in the present house, much altered in the 1960’s; split timber boards can be seen on its northern wall.
“Rural Launceston Heritage Study”, Margaret Tassell, 2000, p. 179 (available here)

From “Annual Licensing Meeting”:
Gottlieb Sulzberger, Railway Hotel, Upper Piper. Mr Collins presented a petition with 85 signatures in favor of the house, and numerous letters of recommendation. Mr Armstrong stated that the house was necessary, all the requisite accommodation was provided. If the house was refused it would result in a lot of sly grog-Belling. Mr Miller objected on behalf of some of the inhabitants of the district, but the objection was not allowed, and the license was granted.
Daily Telegraph, 2 December 1884

Advance Tasmania. — In anticipation of the influx of passengers by the railway to Scottsdale, which is not yet commenced, local enterprise has already provided at the Upper Piper a Railway Hotel ; at Turner’s Marsh, in all haste, another house of accommodation, bearing the same name, is being built, and is to be immediately followed by a second new hotel, for fear the first-named should not be equal to the occasion. Who can now dare call us “Sleepy Hollow.”
Daily Telegraph, 14 July 1885

BREACH OF LICENSING ACT.
John Crisp pleaded guilty to having on the 23rd ultimo, allowed persons to enter his licensed house, the Railway Hotel, Upper Piper, after 10 p.m., and was fined 10s and costs.
Daily Telegraph, 7 June 1886

COUNTRY TRANSFER.
George Cunningham applied for a transfer of the house held by J. Crisp at the Railway Hotel, Piper River, and for the license to be transferred to a new house he had erected. Mr. Supt. Armstrong said these was no police objection. Mr. G. T. Collins, in supporting the application, explained that the transfer was a double one, and in addition to the transfer from Crisp to Cunningham, the latter wished to remove to a new house he had erected, which would be more commodious and convenient for the travelling public. The application was granted.
Tasmanian, 7 August 1886

From “Tasmania as a Field for Emigration”:
I cannot leave this important district, the Piper, without further dwelling on its capabilities and resources. . . . Mr. Sulzberger has built a hotel of ten rooms, the occupier being Mr. Cunningham. There is a post and money order office and savings bank. The latter has only lately been established, so I am unable to give the deposits.
Launceston Examiner, 11 September 1886

NIGHT LICENSE. — On Saturday a license was granted at the City Police Court by the presiding magistrate to Mr W. H. West, licensee of the Railway Hotel, Upper Piper, to sell liquors within prohibited hours on the occasion of a supper being held at the hotel on the last night of the old year.
Daily Telegraph, 31 December 1888

From “The Prince of Wales Birthday”:
SPORTS AT LILYDALE.
Sports of a varied kind will take place at the Railway Hotel, Lilydale, among the special features being a £10 pigeon match, for which there are numerous entries, and also a chopping match. The events of the day will terminate by a ball and supper in the evening.
Daily Telegraphy, 8 November 1888

Mr. W. H. West, of the Railway Hotel, Lilydale, was granted permission to sell liquor in a booth at Bangor race meeting on the 25th inst.
Launceston Examiner, 24 May 1889

From “City Police Court”:
Frederick Williams was charged on remand by William Henry West, a licensed victualler at Lilydale, with having, by means of false pretences, obtained from him board, money, and refreshments, in all to the value of about £40.
Mr E. G. Miller appeared for the defend-ant, who pleaded not guilty.
William Henry West deposed that the defendant bad been boarding at his licensed house for about nine weeks, and owed him money for his board and lodgings for that period. On August 16 Williams called the plaintiff’s attention to an advertisement in the Daily Telegraph concerning himself, and in consequence of what he (Williams had told him be obtained a horse from him (the plaintiff), and went to Avoca. When he returned he said his father was dead, and “the money was all right.” He frequently said his father had died, and left him about £500. Plaintiff accompanied defendant to Mr Waldron’s office at Launceston, where Williams said he could get the money, but after the interview with his solicitor he said he could not get any till September 2. He went to Launceston again on that date, but returned without any money, and wanted to borrow £3, but plaintiff refused saying if he was going to . receive £500 by the death of his father, why did he not get £50 from his solicitor. In the cross-examination nothing of importance was elicited beyond the fact that though the defendant said his father was dead, his brother denied it, and told plaintiff he was still well and hearty.
Janes Bellord Waldron deposed he was a solicitor, etc., practising in Launceston. Remembered the defendant calling at his office on September 2 relative to a case for the recovery of £2 from a farmer named Connor, at Piper’s River. The defendant said nothing whatever to him about money coming to him through the death of his father. John Leeming deposed on ugust 16 be was employed as clerk at the Daily Tele-graph office. From information supplied he wrote out the advertisement produced, and be believed the defendant to be the person, though he could not positively swear to him. The advertisement was as follows:— ‘Wanted the address of Frederick Williams, whose father is dead, aid has left him £500.’
Thomas Herd deposed he also boarded at the Railway Hotel, Lilydale. Knew the defendant, who often told him his father was dead, and that he had been left £500. The defendant told him he was going to get an advance of £200, and would pay both his own and witness’ accounts which West had against them, after which they were going to New Zealand.
George Williams, brother of the defendant, deposed that his father, though un-well, was still alive. and was not possessed of any property. West remarked to him in August last that “Fred,” meaning the defendant, was very lucky, as he had £500 left him by the death of his father, but he (witness) told West that his father was alive and well, as he saw him that very morning. For the last two days his father has been in bed. This closed the case, and after a brief address, Mr Miller, who contended that there was no request on the part of the defendant to obtain money from the plaintiff by means of any false pretence, asked that the case be dismissed.
The Bench was of opinion there was sufficient evidence to send the case on to the Attorney-General, and accordingly the defendant was committed for trial. Friday, October 10.
Daily Telegraphy12 October 1889

The Lilydale Fatality
On Saturday afternoon Mr E. Whitfeld, coroner, and a jury of seven, of which Mr E. J. De Bomford was foreman, held an inquest into the circumstances attending the death of Emily Agnes Sulzberger, aged 6½ years, who was accidentally shot the preceding day at the Railway Hotel, Lilydale.
Gottlieb Sulzberger, father of the deceased, deposed that he was landlord of the Railway Hotel, and identified the body of deceased as that of his daughter, whom he last saw alive about 1 o’clock on Friday afternoon. He had gone about 120 yards out of the gate when he heard his daughter Ellen call him back. Witness came back and found deceased lying on the floor in the back room with a wound in the ear, which her .sister bathed, whilst witness went for Constable Carr. His (witness1) daughter explained to him that the fatality had happened whilst she was making the bed in his room, and when flinging the clothes back the revolver had exploded. Witness had been in the habit of keeping a loaded revolver under his pillow. His daughter always made his bed. He believed tho revolver to be safe.
Ellen Sulzberger, daughter of the last witness deposed that between 1 and 2 p.m. on Friday she was making her father’s bed and was taking the sheet and pillow off when the deceased passed through the room. As she was pulling the sheet down she heard something strike the wall, followed by a report. Immediately afterwards she saw her sister (the deceased) fall, and she picked her up and carried her into the back room. Witness did not see or hear her sister come into the room, and after the accident the revolver was on the side of the bed.
John Carr, police constable, stated that at about 1.45 p.m. on Friday, Mr Sulzberger reported to him that his daughter had been accidently shot, and he (witness) immediately, proceeded to the house, and found the de ceased lying in the back room bleeding from the mouth, nose, and ears. She died at 2.15 p.m. Ellen Sulzberger explained to him that in pulling back the sheet the revolver had gone off and shot the child. He saw the clothes had been pulled off the bed. He produced the revolver, which was a British bulldog.
Lavington Grey Thompson, medical practioner, deposed to the effect that he had examined the body of deceased, and found a wound on the temple, slightly above and in front of the ear ; the wound corresponded with the fracture of the skull. He also noticed that there had been a loss of blood from the right ear, mouth, and nostrils, indicating that there must be another fracture of the base of the skull. The wound described had been effected by a gunshot, the direction being from above downwards. In the neighborhood of the wound the flesh had been burnt, showing that the weapon must have been discharged within 4ft of the head of the child. The cause of death was the gunshot wound to which he had referred.
This closed the evidence, and the coroner having summed up, the jury returned a verdict of “accidental death.”
The coroner called Mr Sulzberger in at the close of the inquest, and drew his attention to the careless manner in which he had left the weapon about, especially when he had so many children.
Colonist, 6 September 1890

From “Selby District”:
Gottlieb Sultzberger, Railway Hotel, Lilydale; at reduced fee. Superintendent Armstrong, of the Selby police, opposed a license being issued at the reduced fee, but could not state the exact distance between the Railway Hotel and the nearest to it, the All Nations’ Hotel, Turner’s Marish. Mr Button thought that applicants for licenses at the reduced fee. should in doubtful cases send in ta surveyor’s certificate as to the distances between their places and those nearest. Superintendent Armstrong pointed out that such a practice would prove very expensive to the applicants, especially in outlying districts; and the chairman was of opinion it should be left to the Superintendent of Police. Granted, subject to tile satisfaction of the Superintendent of Police as to the house being the proper distance from the nearest hotel.
Launceston Examiner, 2 December 1890

PERMISSION TO SELL —At the City Police Court yesterday, before Messrs. G. W. Water-house, P.M., and H. Conway, J.P., the following permissions to sell liquor in the houses named were granted till the next licensing meeting :— Edward Williams, at the Railway Hotel, Lilydale, under licence held by John W. Stevenson; and John Chalmers, at Criterion Hotel, St. John-street, under license held by John Lay.
Daily Telegraph, 31 May 1892

MR. D. HAMILTON JOHNSTONE, proprietor of the Railway Hotel, Lilydale, notifies in our hotel column that tourists, travellers, and excursionists will find every comfort at his hotel, and that only the best also and spirits is kept, all of which we can vouch for, our representative having recently been domiciled in the hosterly for a whole week and sadly regretted that circumstances would not permit him to remain longer.
Tasmanian Democrat, 14 April 1894

LILYDALE LICENCE
A sitting of the Licensing Court was held at Lilydale yesterday morning to deal with an application made by Charles William Bedggood for a transfer of his hotel licence from Golconda to Lilydale. . . . A great deal of Interest was taken in the application, tho Court being crowded. The last hotel licence in Lilydale was held by Mr. David H. Johnstone, about 37 years ago, about the time the north-eastern railway was constructed. The premises were owned by Mr. G. K. Sulzberger. Mr. Sulzberger held , the licence prior to Mr. Johnstone.
The Mercury, 12 September 1930