Cnr William & Charles St, Launceston. Google Maps.
Recently demolished.
Photo (and others below), 2016
First licensed to James Lilly 1850, as the Salmon & Ball Hotel.
Owned by James Lilly until his death in 1882, but licensed to William Wilkinson and William & Mary Doodie. When Lilly’s estate was sold, William Doodie purchased the hotel, made improvements and renamed it “River View Hotel”.
Photo, August 2018
An interesting feature of this hotel is it was built on the site of the barque Kains that was dragged ashore and converted to a warehouse. It appears on Smythe’s map of 1835, marked as a ship.
The Cains Creek was at the bottom of Charles-street, where formerly the Salmon and Ball, but now the River View Hotel, stands. It was an artificial creek, dug out to allow the ship Cairns, wrecked in Whirlpool Reach, to be brought up and secured ; she was then roofed over, like a veritable Noah’s Ark, and was for some time used as a bonding store.
The Tasmanian, 14 May 1892
An interesting feature was the bonded warehouse situated at the foot of Charles Street, where the River View Hotel stands today. Actually that warehouse comprised the barque Kaines, which was wrecked at Whirlpool Reach and afterwards condemned.It was procured by a Launceston syndicate and floated through a canal to the block of land mentioned. A roof was put over it and a doorway cut in the side, it then being used for the warehouse.
The Mercury, 5 April 1935
QUARTER SESSIONS.-On Monday, the justices assembled in quarter sessions to hear the appeal of William Cook, whose license was refused at the last annual licensing meeting. The decision was confirmed, and to fill the vacancy a license was granted to James Lilly, for a new house at the corner of Charles and William-streets, sign, the “Salmon and Ball.”
Examiner, 9 October 1850
PUBLICAN’S LICENSES.—Monday last being the first Quarterly Meeting of Justices for granting transfers, &c., the following magistrates assembled for that purpose :-Messrs. W. Gunn, (chairman), J. Cameron. J. Robertson, J. R. Bateman, M. C. Friend, R. P. Stewart, J. Walker, B. Welman, W. G. Sams. Transfers were granted from William Carpenter, “Elephant and Castle,” Wellington Street, to William Mason ; from Ann Cole, “Albion Inn,” Cocked Hat, to John Cole; from James Lilly, “Salmon and Ball,” Charles Street, to William Wilkinson ; from Nathaniel Poole, “Hadspen Inn,” Hadspen, to Thomas Butterworth. Applications for new licenses made by John Harwood for the “East Bank Inn,” East Tamar, and Samuel Jones for the “Mason’s Arms.” Hadspen, were not entertained through informality: an application for a new license made by Samuel Hopkins, for the “Golden Fleece,” Charles Street, was re fused on account of the premises. A license was granted to Benjamin Hyrons for the “Royal Hotel,” Wellington Street.
Examiner, 5 November 1851
Cornwall Chronicle 3 December 1851
Unfounded Charge.— Bellion the pilot gave Mr. Wilkinson of the Salmon & Ball, and Mr. Elliott, into Custody of the police last night, for felony, in stealing an oar his property. Upon the case coming on for hearing before Mr. Gunn Bellion withdrew the charge. Persons should be careful in giving respectable people into custody, upon such serious charges as felony, or sometimes they may be made to pay for the amusement.
Cornwall Chronicle, 31 January 1852
POLICE OFFICE.
J. Wilkinson, licensed victualler, of the “Salmon and Ball,” Charles-street, was charged by D. C. Brown, with having his house open during the hours of divine service, on Sunday Evening, the 20th June. Mr. Douglas for the defendant. Pleaded not guilty.
D. C. Brown, conducted the prosecution, and called D, C. Leary. who deposed that onSunday evening, June 20th. went to defendant’s house, with constable O’Donell ; found the front door partly open, between seven and eight o’clock ; went into tbe house, found two men and a female drinking, one of whom was a prisoner of the crown, who has since been tried for the offence. The counsel for the defence said, it was useless to go further ; showed that the information wns defective, and did not substantially embody the nature of the offence. Case dismissed.
Cornwall Chronicle, 14 July 1852
Cornwall Chronicle, 7 September 1853
TRANSFER DAY.-A Quarterly Meeting of Justices was held at Launceston on Monday. Present-J. C. Gregson, Esq, Chairman ; Major Welman, Lieutenant Walker.
The first application for a transfer was from John Joseph Moore to Henry Bevan, Star Inn, Charles-street. The Chairman enquired if applicant understood that the transfer could only be granted to the end of the year; to which Major Welman replied–“Sure he is one of the Government officers, and he knows.” Granted.
From Mrs. Mary Monaghan to Thomas Jones, Britannia, Wellington-street. The applicant stood forward ; Major Welman–“But he’s too young; he’s not of age.” Granted.
From William James Wilkinson to James Lilly, Salmon and Ball, Charles-street. Granted.
A new application was put in by James Madden for a licence tor a new house at Torquay, River Mersey. The application was recommended by the Police Magistrate of the district and five other Justices residing in the vicinity ; which, as the Major remarked, were “signatures of the very best quality.” Granted to the end of the year.
This concluded the business.-Examiner.
The Courier (Hobart), 8 November 1854
Licence Transfers.-William Doodie was granted permission to sell liquors at the Salmon and Ball Inn under the licence held by James Lilly till the next annual licensing meeting. John Findlay was granted permission to sell liquors at the Prince of Wales Inn under the licence held by William Doodie till the next annual licensing meeting.
Examiner, 23 November 1880
BILLIARD LICENSES.–At the Police Court yesterday, the magistrates granted a billiard license to George Talmage for the Club Hotel, Brisbane-street; and a bagatelle license to William Doodie for the Salmon and Ball Hotel, William-street.
Examiner, 23 March 1881
PERMISSION To SELL.-At the Police Court yesterday morning Wm. Doodie, landlord of the Salmon and Ball Hotel, Lower Charles-street, was granted permission to sell liquor at the T. M. L. Railway Station, at Launceston, to 31st December. W. J. Spearman was also granted leave to sell liquor at the Edinburgh Castle Hotel, Wellington and Bathurst streets, under transfer from the administrators of the late James. Murphy, to the same date.
Examiner, 11 October 1882
From Annual Licensing Meeting, 1882:
On Wm. Doodie’s application being read for a license for the Salmon and Ball Hotel, Charles and William streets, the Mayor said the house was very imperfectly furnished, and the license was granted on the understanding that proper furniture should be procured for the bedrooms.
Examiner, 2 December 1882
From Annual Licensing Meeting, 1884:
SALMON AND BALL.
Transfer to Mary Doodie from William Doodie, of license to the Salmon and Ball, Charles and William streets. In reply to a question from the Chair man, Superintendent Coulter said it was an application for a transfer from the son to the mother, and he could offer no objections to the transferree. Granted unanimously.
Daily Telegraph, 4 November 1884
[cut for length, cuts indicated by grey space, full ad]
Examiner, 6 November 1885
The sale commenced at noon with the City Hotel, St. John street, which has a frontage of 26ft 5in,and the same at the rear in the Quadrant, the depth being 72ft 7in. The bidding started at £1500, abd rose rapidly to £2500, being eventually knocked down to Mr G. T. Matthews for £2680, or over £100 a foot. The Salmon and Ball Hotel fetched perhaps a better proportionate figure, being bought by the lessee, Mr W. Doodie, at £1980.
Daily Telegraph, 7 November 1885
TOWN IMPROVEMENTS
In addition to the hotel improvements mentioned in our recent article under the present heading, we may mention that Mr. W. Doodie is about to make extensive improvements to the River View Hotel. These will consist of a hall ft. by 30ft., dining-room 32ft. by a 15ft., commercial rooms on the ground floor and nine bedrooms, with baths on the second floor. The additions will be of brick, and tenders for the same close at 4 p.m. on Thursday next. Mr. Alfred E. Luttrell has been entrusted with the drawing up of the plans and specifications, which may be inspected on the premises.
Examiner, 21 June 1886
River View Hotel. — Mr William Doodie, proprietor of this well-known hotel, has recently made extensive additions thereto, and the house will shortly be replete with every accommodation for visitors and the public generally. From an advertisement in another column it will be noticed that telephonic communication with the Exchange will shortly be established, which will be very convenient for masters of vessels and the mercantile community.
Daily Telepgrah, 6 September 1886
We are informed that the trustees in the estate of William Doodie, of River View Hotel, at the junction of Lower Charles and William streets have disposed of the property to Mr. Frank Simpson, for his daughter, Mrs. Mary Whitnall, of Gladstone. The price paid is £1250, and a mortgage of £2300, brings upthe total to £3550.
The Tasmanian, 14 January 1888
Death of Mr. J. Sheehan.—An old and much-respected resident of the city, in the person of Mr. Jeremiah Sheehan, joined the majority on Saturday. Mr. Sheehan for many years conducted a tailoring business in Launceston, and subsequently, for about 12 months, kept the River View Hotel, Charles-street. For the past two years, however, he has been suffering from a paralytic attack, to which he succumbed on Saturday.
Launceston Examiner, 25 September 1899