Licensees
1860 – 1862 – William Taylor
1862-1865 – James Grover
1866 – Robert McDonald
1867-1869 – Rebecca Bates1New South Wales Government Gazette (Sydney, NSW : 1832-1900), Tuesday 24 August 1869 (No.180 [SUPPLEMENT]), p 2131
Location – Near the Farm, at the Foot of Dirty Butter Mountain, moving to Burketown (also known as ‘Bourketown’) in 1862
Historical Maps2NSW Land Registry Service, Parish and Historical Maps. Historical Land Records Viewer https://www.nswlrs.com.au/Parish-and-Historical-Maps. Accessed 18 February 2023 indicates the lands purchased by James Grover (Portion 58) and Rebecca Bates (Portion 59) were adjoining.
| Purchased | Por | Plan | Loc | Vol | Fol | Pub | |
| Grover, James | 15 December 1865 | 58 | V457 787 | V | 35 | 77 | Welcome Inn |
| Bates, Rebecca | 29 June 1868 | 59 | V456 787 | V | 81 | 148 | Welcome Inn |
In the News
In May 1860 the Empire describes the Araluen Plains birds styled “Native Companions” and adds ‘Mr. William Taylor, of the Welcome Inn, at the Farm, Araluen, saw two walking on the plain…. They each stood five feet eleven inches and a half in height, and measured from the tip of one wing to the extremity of the other, 8 feet. …Their colour is a most beautiful one, being of a silver grey‘. 3Empire (Sydney, NSW : 1850 – 1875), Tuesday 15 May 1860, page 2
William Taylor placed an advertisement June 1860 in the Braidwood Observer4Braidwood Observer and Miner’s Advocate (NSW: 1859 – 1862), Wednesday 27 June 1860, page 3to announce that ‘on Saturday evening the 30th, he intends giving a sumptuous entertainment…a Ball and Supper, upon the occasion of the Birth of three of his family’. (See above)
In August 1860 a ‘bargain’ was advertised for sale in the Braidwood Observer 5Braidwood Observer and Miner’s Advocate (NSW: 1859 – 1862), Saturday 25 August 1860, page 3 of the ‘Public House, known as the Welcome Inn, Araluen Farm, at the Foot of the Dirty Butter Mountain’.
![An advertisement notfiying that the Welcome Inn was moving to Middle Araluen, [Burketown] in October 1860](https://araluenvalley-history.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Welcome-Inn-move-1860.png)
William Taylor placed an advertisement dated October 9th 1860 in the Braidwood Observer 6Braidwood Observer and Miner’s Advocate (NSW: 1859 – 1862), Saturday 20 October 1860, page 1 for the Welcome Inn, Middle Araluen, to advise that ‘he has obtained a removal to the house recently erected…on the Government Ground on the road from the Upper Araluen to Crown Flat and the Lower diggings, and nearly opposite his old house at the Farm… hoping to continue to receive the future favours.’
The Freeman’s Journal 7Freeman’s Journal (Sydney, NSW: 1850 – 1932), Wednesday 4 September 1861, page 3reported in September 1861 ‘A correspondent writing from the Araluen says that a most seasonable rain has fallen at a time most acceptable to the mining population, which is still going ahead. The contractors for the erection of the Police Station have commenced operations on the site selected near Mr. Taylor’s, the Welcome Inn; Mr. Mayne having with great forethought reserved twenty five acres, which it is to be hoped the Government will see the necessity of fencing in for the use of the horses of the Mounted Patrol’.
In July 1862 James Grover (late of the Cricketer’s Arms) placed an advertisement dated July 11 in the Braidwood Observer 8Braidwood Observer and Miner’s Advocate (NSW: 1859 – 1862), Saturday 12 July 1862, page 3 for the Welcome Inn, Next to the Court House, [Burketown] Araluen, to notify that ‘he has purchased the good will of the Welcome Inn which he intends to open on obtaining the transfer.’
An insolvency notice was placed in the NSW Government Gazette9New South Wales Government Gazette (Sydney, NSW : 1832-1900), Friday 1 February 1861 (No.32), p 330 in February 1861, advising the ‘Estate of James Grover, of the Lower Araluen, in the District of Braidwood, publican, Insolvent.’
On 31 August 1864, the Goulburn Herald and Chronicle10Goulburn Herald and Chronicle (NSW : 1864-1881), Wednesday 31 August 1864, p 2 reported ‘Mr. Frederick Bates, baker, of Araluen, was thrown from his horse on Friday and fatally injured.’ It was then stated that ‘the goods, chattels, credits, and effects of Frederick Bates, late of Araluen,11New South Wales Government Gazette (Sydney, NSW : 1832-1900), Tuesday 13 September 1864 (No.182), p 2058 in the Colony of New South Wales, baker, deceased, in September 1864, may be granted to Rebecca Bates, of Araluen widow of the said deceased.’ Frederick and Rebecca’s children are understood to be Mary (1858- ), Emily H, (1859-1860), Emily (1861- ) and Frederick (1863- ).
On 2 August 1865, the NSW Police Gazette12New South Wales Police Gazette and Weekly Record of Crime (Sydney : 1860-1930), Wednesday 2 August 1865 (No.31), p 276 published the following: ‘Stolen, sometime during the night of the 25th July 1865 from the house of James Grover, Araluen — two £1 notes, four half-sovereigns, and £3 in silver.’
A notice for land purchase for Portion 58, of the Araluen Goldfields by James Grover was listed in the NSW Government Gazette13New South Wales Government Gazette (Sydney, NSW : 1832-1900), Friday 15 December 1865 (No.259), p 2813 in December 1865. The land transferred to Robert McDonald on 28 February 1866.
The Canadian Census of 1871 14Library and Archives Canada, https://library-archives.canada.ca/ 1871 Census Canada, District 41, South Simcoe, Province of Ontario, C Division, No1, Page 2, Family 5, Line 1. Image No.: 4396753_00457 accessed 6 October 2023 lists James Grover and family in South Simcoe, Ontario and details James 48, an innkeeper, Eliza (39), and their nine children. The children born in Australia are noted as William James (17), Rosina (15), Anna Maria (13), Alice Eliza (11), Caroline Theresa (7), Frederick Albert (6) and their children born in England, are George Valentino (4), Murray (3) and Florence Priscilla (11 months).
In 1872, land Portion 59 was sold by Rebecca Bates to John Loughlin, who then sold to Mary Ann Greenwood in 1880.
- BATES.—June 25, 1905, at 16 Dobroyd Street, Ashfield, Rebecca, the relict of Frederick Bates, formerly of Araluen, aged 71 years. Inserted by her loving sons and daughters, and also her son-in-law. Braidwood papers please copy.15Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842-1954), Monday 26 June 1905, p 6