FORMER KIRBYS EUREKA HOTEL AND ROPERS STORE SITE

RICHARDSONS RACE ROAD YACKANDANDAH, INDIGO SHIRE

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Victorian Heritage Inventory

Statement of Significance

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  • History

    FORMER KIRBYS EUREKA HOTEL AND ROPERS STORE SITE - History

    Kirby's Flat is one of the first working sluicing with a long tom in the Yackandandah Creek, on the opposite side to hotel (Matthews, 1990:4), but the exact location of the hotels has not been documented. On the 1856 map of the township of Yackandandah, the hotel appears directly part of/adjacent to Roper's Store.

    In the book Nobblers and Lushington's, Patterson (2009:292) describes the Eureka hotel as being located at Kirby's Flat (1855-1862), with the following licensees:

    § Isaac Burnham Kirby (1855-1858)

    § George Rowe 1858

    § Isaac Burnham Kirby (1859)

    § Charles McIntyre (1862).

    The latter died by drowning in 1870, and the assumption is that is when the hotel was closed.

    The story of Roper's Store is not as well understood, and it is likely that it was one of the many thousands of stores on the Victorian Goldfields that were short lived and disappeared as soon as the local goldrush was over. However, it is known that a property at the centre of Yackandandah was owned by Mr Roper, probably after establishing his first business at Kirby's Flat. According to the Heritage Register (http://vhd.heritage.vic.gov.au/places/heritage/1244):

    The land on which the building known as S G Dean's grocery and hardware store stands was purchased from the Crown in 1857 by W Roper. Roper constructed the two storey shop and attached residence of local red bricks in about 1864-66 and probably ran the store. The store may have been later run by a W H Roper [presumably a son] who was a native of Yackandandah who stated that he served six years in storekeeping at Yackandandah until about 1880 before moving on to run stores in other towns in the region. In the later nineteenth century, the shop was run by J Haig who stocked groceries, clothing and hardware and provided two dressmakers.

    Interpretation of Site

    FORMER KIRBYS EUREKA HOTEL AND ROPERS STORE SITE - Interpretation of Site

    Being the most accurate source for the location of the hotel and store, the 1856 map of Yackandandah sees the site located within a private allotment (24 PS528759), Kirby's Flat, which was not inspected.  The flat has been partly quarried - especially the creek line - and partly remains in tact.  Given that the exact location of the hotel is unknown, this means that there is some potential for the Eureka hotel to exist in the less destroyed section of the flat.

    Archaeological Significance

    FORMER KIRBYS EUREKA HOTEL AND ROPERS STORE SITE - Archaeological Significance

    The location of the Eureka Hotel and Roper's Store is significant locally as being one of the best documented hotels and or structures on the Yackandandah goldfield, away from the main town. The flat on which it was located, while partly destroyed, also retains some integrity and therefore there is some potential for archaeological remains, including foundations and an associated artefact assemblage from which to address as range of information regarding social and commercial development of some of the marginal 19th century mining centres.

    Historical Significance

    FORMER KIRBYS EUREKA HOTEL AND ROPERS STORE SITE - Historical Significance

    The site is significant through its association with the 19th century goldrush to Yackandandah and with W. Roper, one of the township's earliest storekeepers.

    Heritage Inventory Description

    FORMER KIRBYS EUREKA HOTEL AND ROPERS STORE SITE - Heritage Inventory Description

    Former location of Kirbys' Eureka Hotel and Roper's Store. Part of the Kirby flat goldfield, Yackandandah, now a private allotment. No access, but likely to retain archaeological remains associated with the store and hotel (1860s and earlier).
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