Half-way House - Araluen Valley History

Licensee
– 1860 – Stephen Poppenhager[n]

1860-1862 – George Potton

1862-1867 – Stephen Poppenhager[n]

Location
Bells Creek, Araluen Road.
Historical maps¹ indicate the land purchased by Stephen Poppenhager was as set out in the table .

	Purchased	Por	Plan	Loc	Vol	Fol
Poppenhager, Stephen		30	392	NW	17	185
Poppenhager, Stephen	1865	31	392	NW	17	164
Poppenhager, Stephen	1867	249	724	NW	60	188
Poppenhager, Stephen	1876	377*	923	NE	286	59
Jean Poppenhager	1868	369	772	NW	68	131

^{* From the NE corner of portion 249}

A map showing lands purchased by Stephen Poppenhager- Blocks 30, 31,249, 369 and 377 Bells Creek. — ^{Stephen Poppenhager- Blocks 30, 31,249, 369 and 377, Bells Creek}

In the News

The Empire² noted, following the floods of 1860, that the Dirty Butter Creek Track, ‘is now perfectly safe for horsemen to travel on, as the requisite repairs have been performed by Mr. Poppenhagen, [Poppenhager] of Bell’s Creek‘.

The Braidwood Observer ³ in April 1860 reporting on the Annual meeting regarding of Publican’s Licenses held at the Court-house, Braidwood, listed ‘Stephen Poppenhager, Half-way House , Bells Creek. ‘

An advertisement for George Potton's, Halfway House at Bell's Creek in 1860 — George Potton, Half-way House, Bell’s Creek. 1860

George Potton, placed an advertisement dated September 6th 1860, in the Braidwood Observer ⁴advising the residents of Bell’s Creek, that ‘he has taken out a transfer of the license …for the Half-way House…[with] a choice selection of Wines and Spirits will be kept in stock… to warrant a full extension of public favour and support’. In August 1862, George placed an advertisement in the Braidwood News ⁵ advising that ‘having obtained a license for … [The Mountain Inn, Top of the Dirty Butter Mountain Road, Bell’s Creek.]’, respectfully solicits the patronage of all who have occasion to pass along this line of road.‘

An advertisement for Stephen Poppenhagen's Halfway House at Bell's Creek in 1862 — Stephen Poppenhagen, Half-way House Bell’s Creek. 1862

In August 1862, S.T. [Stephen] Poppenhager[n] placed an advertisement in the Braidwood News⁶ to inform that ‘he has again entered the House himself, and hopes… [it] will resume its …position as the favoured House of Call.’

In 1863, the Araluen Star⁷ advised that ‘The great annoyance felt by the diggers and other residents of the Valley, by their horses straying up the mountain, is now in a measure removed. In another part of our paper, it will be seen, that arrangements have been made by which all horses straying from the Valley, will be stopped and placed in a secure paddock on the top of the mountain, upon a paltry charge of two or three shillings. We beg to call attention to Mr Poppenhager’s advertisement in another column.’ (See below)

An advertisement for the Half-way House in December 1863 — ^{An 1863 advertisement for the Half-way House}

On 1 January 1864 the Goulburn Herald⁸ reported a court hearing titled The Affray at the Poppenhager’s, where four persons were ‘charged with having, on the 1st January [1864], forcibly broken into the house of Stephen Poppenhager, of Bell’s Creek and unlawfully assaulted the said Stephen Poppenhager. … The marks upon the head of Mrs. Poppenhager, … showed that the affair was one of severity. A number of slabs and saplings were produced in court, alleged to have been the weapons used on the occasion‘. Also in January that year⁹‘Stephen Poppenhager, charged on warrant with … inflicting grievous bodily harm … arrested by Senior-sergeant Brennan and Senior-constable Murphy, Araluen Police’. A trial did not proceed.¹⁰

Stephen Poppenhager's 1864 advertisement for Christmas Fruits in the Araluen Star — ^{1864 advertisement for Christmas Fruits}

Christmas fruits, from the best houses in Sydney, were advertised for sale in the Araluen Star¹¹ in January 1864, ‘as good and cheap as any other establishment in the district’ .

An Insolvency meeting into the insolvent Estate of Stephen Poppenhager, of Bell’s Creek, innkeeper was held in March, 1868.¹²

Stephen Poppenhager – Contractor is noted in the 1875–76 Greville’s Official Post Office Directory¹³ (p49) in Bells Creek.

Following his death, aged 49, by accidental drowning, crossing the Moruya River on horseback, at Broulee on 14 August 1875,¹⁴ ¹⁵ the Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction noted Jean Poppenhager, as the widow of deceased Stephen Poppenhager.¹⁶

A photo of Poppenhagers Half-way House, Bells Creek. — ^{Poppenhagers Half-way House, Bells Creek}

References

1
Historical Maps NSW Land Registry Service, Parish and Historical Maps. Historical Land Records Viewer https://www.nswlrs.com.au/Parish-and-Historical-Maps Accessed 18 February 2023.
2
Empire (Sydney, NSW : 1850-1875), Tuesday 21 February 1860, p 3.
3
Braidwood Observer and Miner’s Advocate (NSW : 1859 – 1862), Wednesday 18 April 1860, page 2
4
Braidwood Observer and Miner’s Advocate (NSW: 1859 – 1862), Saturday 29 September 1860, page 4
5
Braidwood News and Goldfields General Advertiser (NSW: 1862), Tuesday 26 August 1862, page 3
6
Braidwood News and Goldfields General Advertiser (NSW: 1862), Tuesday 26 August 1862, page 3
7
Araluen Star and Miners’ Right (NSW : 1863-1864), Saturday 12 December 1863, p 2.
8
Goulburn Herald (NSW : 1860-1864), Saturday 16 January 1864, p 2.
9
New South Wales Police Gazette and Weekly Record of Crime (Sydney : 1860-1930), Wednesday 14 January 1874 (No.2), p 13.
10
Goulburn Herald (NSW : 1860-1864), Wednesday 13 January 1864, p 2.
11
Araluen Star and Miners’ Right (NSW : 1863-1864), Saturday 9 January 1864, p 1.
12
New South Wales Government Gazette (Sydney, NSW : 1832-1900), Friday 8 May 1868 (No.111), p 1296.
13
Greville’s Official Post Office Directory for 1875–1876 https://www.ihr.com.au/secure/html/greville75.html. Accessed 18 February 2023.
14
Australian Town and Country Journal (Sydney, NSW : 1870-1919), Saturday 14 August 1875, p 5.
15
NSW Register of Coroner’s Inquests No. 701, August 1875.
16
New South Wales Government Gazette (Sydney, NSW : 1832-1900), Tuesday 11 January 1876 (No.8), p 129.