GALLOWAY ARMS, ORGAN PIPES NATIONAL PARK

ORGAN PIPES ROAD KEILOR NORTH, BRIMBANK CITY

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Victorian Heritage Inventory

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Statement of Significance

• Additional Place Information

  • History

    GALLOWAY ARMS, ORGAN PIPES NATIONAL PARK - History

    The discovery of gold in Victoria in 1851 was the catalyst for an unprecedented influx of newcomers from both within the Australian colonies and from overseas. One of the two main routes taken by diggers and travellers to the goldfields in and around Bendigo, passed through Keilor and across the infamously dangerous and hostile Keilor Plains. A number of hotels were soon established by enterprising individuals along this track, to cater for the hungry and thirsty hordes and to provide limited and often basic accommodation for man and beast alike. Two of the early 'goldfield' hotels established on the road west of Keilor were the Galloway Arms Hotel and the Live and Let Live Inn.

    Robertson's Arms, Rainey's Hotel, Galloway Arms

    In July 1853: Edward Phillip Rainey took out a ten year lease on land being 'part of Section 29, north of the Government Road' for £300 p.a. (Ref: Land Titles Office files). The Argus (7/9/1853) indicates that Edward Phillip Romey (shoud be Rainey) applied for a similar license for a house at Upper Keilor to be called Robertson's Arms. He was directed to apply again when the premises are finished.

    By January 1854: Rainey's Hotel and the surrounding 340 acres was up for auction, described as being '6 miles from Keilor' and '9 miles from the Gap', with a 'very extensive frontage to the Mount Alexander Road and Jackson's Creek'. Reference was also made to the basalt column rock formation on Jackson's Creek today known as the Organ Pipes in the vicinity of the hotel. The Galloway Arms consisted of 12 rooms with two stables and a detached cottage just finished' containing 5 rooms. (Ref: Port Phillip Herald 31. 1. 1854 p/6). This hotel is marked on an early map as the Robertson's Arms, though no record of it having been called that has been found in other documents. The owner of the land on which both the Galloway Arms and the Live and Let Live are located, was Scottish settler James Robertson who took up most of the land in the area in the early 1840s.

    In April 1854 Joseph Beck took over the hotel's license and renamed it the Galloway Arms. References to the Galloway Arms were made in the diary of a teacher at the Presbyterian school on Tullamarine Island. In his diary the teacher records - 'rose at 4 am started for qtrs at 1/4 to 5 walked as far as Keilor Hotel. Took coach there & arrived at Galloway Arms a distance of more than 6 miles in less than half an hour'. (Ref: Melbourne Morning Herald 21.4.1854 p/5; Diaries of John Reid, Victorian schoolmaster, 1853-1856. Newcastle Family History Society Inc: Adamstown, NSW 2002). Reid would then have walked northwards and down the hill crossing the ford east of the Organ Pipes, to reach the small Presbyterian schoolhouse on the hill in Tullamarine. The route taken by Reid would also have been used by his pupils living on the south side of Jackson's Creek, including the Moseby children from the Live and Let Live Inn.

    During the Beck's divorce case some years later, the following evidence was given by the barman employed at the hotel -I went to bed and he (Mr Beck) afterwards came and spoke to me about his family again. I said I supposed they were in his stable or in the cottage or somewhere and he again expressed himself as satisfied and went away'. (Ref: Port Phillip Herald 29.9.1862 p/6). The Beck's left the hotel around 1856.

    The Galloway Arms was still operating in July 1860 when an inquest into the death of ten year old James Burns was held there. (Ref- VPRS Inquest No 62). In January 1861 mention is made of the hotel in an advertisement for stonebreakers. (Rert 1.1.1861 pI 1). It is not known when the hotel ceased to operate, but it is likely that due to the fall-off in traffic on the along the main road that it had probably closed by the early to mid 1860's.

    Research by C. Laskowski.

    Interpretation of Site

    GALLOWAY ARMS, ORGAN PIPES NATIONAL PARK - Interpretation of Site

    Galloway Arms hotel complex is believed to be the bluestone footing of a 5 roomed cottage belonging to the 'Galloway Arms' hotel, with adjacent basalt stone floored stables.

    Archaeological Significance

    GALLOWAY ARMS, ORGAN PIPES NATIONAL PARK - Archaeological Significance

    The site may contain sub-surface material evidence of the time including crockery, bottles and other glassware, tools,buttons and building matierial.

    Historical Significance

    GALLOWAY ARMS, ORGAN PIPES NATIONAL PARK - Historical Significance

    The site may provide insight into passageways between Melbourne and Bendigo during the 1850s goldrush era, including awailable facilities for travellers and entrepenurial repercussions of the Bendigo goldrush. 'galloways' may additionally provide insight into material culture of working families in the district.

    Heritage Inventory Description

    GALLOWAY ARMS, ORGAN PIPES NATIONAL PARK - Heritage Inventory Description

    Thissitecontains the bluestone footings of a detached cottage at the rear of the hotel known variously as Rainey's Hotel, Robertson's Arms and Galloway Arms, along with a cobbled stone area. It is located just inside the entrance gates to the Organ Pipes National Park. Around the site is a substantial scatter.
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