Olive Elsie May Reed was licensee of the Eltham Hotel from April 1948 to January 1950. The Eltham Hotel is the oldest continually operating hotel in the Eltham district. Initially referred to as the Little Eltham Hotel, it has been known as the Eltham Hotel since the 1850s through to present time with a very brief period as the Eltham Tavern in the late 1980s. Benjamin Oliver Wallis was a prominent Eltham resident, publican and Councillor during the second half of the nineteenth century. He owned the house that is now the Nillumbik Living and Learning Centre at 739 Main Road Eltham and one stage the Eltham Hotel. Wallis migrated to Melbourne in 1853 but his wife and children remained in Cornwall for a further 10 years. Later in 1853 Richard Warren engaged Wallis to build the Eltham Hotel and it opened in 1854. The hotel was constructed of hard basaltic blue stone quarried in the Eltham district and cemented together with mud, and partly of bricks made at Eltham. The Fountain of Friendship Hotel on the opposite side of Maria Street (Main Road) opened shortly after. The hotel was a well-known resting place for gold diggers during the gold rush at Woods’ Point and Warren would buy the gold from the diggers. In 1858 Warren fell into financial difficulties and had to sell the hotel. Wallis bought the hotel and obtained a publican’s licence in 1861. In the 1850s the Fountain had been the more popular hotel but after that the Eltham Hotel became more popular. It is understood that in about 1857 Wallis probably built the “Living and Learning house” for tanner John Pearson. In 1868 Pearson became bankrupt and Wallis acquired the house and he lived there until his death in 1896. For some of this time the house was in the name of Benjamin’s son Richard but he died in 1888 and ownership reverted to his father. Wallis was a member of the Eltham Jockey Club and in 1867 his wife Anna rode her horse Charlotte in the Annual Races. Anna was also an angler and is reported to have caught a large perch in the Yarra River. She died in 1887. On 16th September 1886 Wallis sold the hotel to Christopher Watson (Snr). Watson died in 1887 and the hotel passed to his son Christopher Watson (Jr) who owned it until his death in 1909 at which time his wife Emily took over the license. Upon her death, their son Herbert applied for the license in January 1915. In July 1925, Herbert Watson demolished the original building and, in its place, erected a modern hotel which remains the foundation of the present Eltham Hotel. The contractors at the time commented on how well the original building had been constructed. A description of the new building was detailed in the Advertiser newspaper of January 8, 1926: “The new building consists of. two stories. designed in English tavern style, and contains-all told, 24 rooms. On the second floor, in front uninviting the two gables is a deep balcony, which will be much appreciated by visitors. The lower story is wholly of brick, and the upper one of wood and fibrous cement plaster. The rooms are spacious and lofty, and the windows are large and of latest style, and light the rooms splendidly. The entrance hall is 8 feet wide. The bar is a very commodious room and is furnished in the most up-to-date and convenient manner. The dining room, a very attractive apartment, is 30 feet by 15 feet 6 inches, and the bar parlor is also a large and well furnished room. A large cellar, an indispensable adjunct to an hotel, has been excavated beneath the bar. On the upper story are 12 bedrooms, and among other conveniences are two bath rooms in which hot and cold water can be used. All the rooms have been supplied with the necessary appliances for electric lighting, which will be one of the progressive evidences which Eltham will shortly enjoy.” “In the yard a brick garage to accommodate three cars at once, has been erected. This, as well as the hotel, is roofed with tiles.” “From the front of the hotel (especially the balcony) a lovely view of the country west and, north may be obtained.” “It may be added that it Is intended to have an ornamental garden, a tennis court. and a kiosk in connection with the hotel, and the property will have a rustic fence round it.” The hotel has since undergone several modifications and extensions Pages from a scrapbook belonging to Heather Jenkins (nee Sargeant) who lived as a child in the Police Residence at 728 Main Road, Eltham in the 1920s.Heather Sargeant was the daughter of Constable W.C. Sargeant, the local police officer in residence at Eltham, 1922-1927Glued on a brown paper scrapbook page (torn from scrapbook) with 8 black and white/sepia photos of varying sizes, 1 newspaper clipping and one greeting card with printed sketch and handwritten captions in ink. On back of page is 1 black and white photo and a large newspaper clipping.eltham, police residence, heather jenkins (nee sargeant), walter withers, constable w.c. sargeant, eltham hotel, jim jenkins, reed's eltham hotel, olive elsie may reed

Olive Elsie May Reed was licensee of the Eltham Hotel from April 1948 to January 1950. Extensions made to the hotel c.1954Colour photograph of an original sepia imagehotels, eltham, main road, pitt street, 1948, eltham hotel, olive elsie may reed, reed's eltham hotel

EDHS_04894 Folder: Hotels Contents: 1. Newspaper clippings (photocopies) 1.1. Advertising (1886, December 3). Evelyn Observer, and South and East Bourke Record (Vic. : 1882 - 1902), p. 2 (MORNING.). Retrieved August 6, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article60431123 1.2. MR. H. T. CLARTON AT ELTHAM. (1886, February 12). Evelyn Observer, and South and East Bourke Record (Vic. : 1882 - 1902), p. 3 (MORNING.). Retrieved August 6, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article60430311 1.3. Advertising (1889, September 20). Evelyn Observer, and South and East Bourke Record (Vic. : 1882 - 1902), p. 1 (MORNING.). Retrieved August 6, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article58899086 1.4. Advertising (1890, July 18). Evelyn Observer, and South and East Bourke Record (Vic. : 1882 - 1902), p. 1 (MORNING.). Retrieved August 6, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article58900847 1.5. Newspaper clipping (photocopy): Advertising (1892, January 29). Evelyn Observer, and South and East Bourke Record (Vic. : 1882 - 1902), p. 1 (MORNING.). Retrieved August 6, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article60666835 1.6. The Evelyn Observer, (1892, June 3). Evelyn Observer, and South and East Bourke Record (Vic. : 1882 - 1902), p. 2 (MORNING.). Retrieved August 6, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article60667396 (Fire at Morris's Evelyn Hotel); and The Evelyn Observer, (1892, June 24). Evelyn Observer, and South and East Bourke Record (Vic. : 1882 - 1902), p. 2 (MORNING.). Retrieved August 6, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article60667494 (Kangaroo Ground Hotel) 1.7. Newspaper clipping (photocopy): Advertising (1898, September 2). Evelyn Observer, and South and East Bourke Record (Vic. : 1882 - 1902), p. 1 (MORNING.). Retrieved August 6, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article60684012 1.8. ELTHAM SHIRE COUNCIL. (1898, September 9). Evelyn Observer, and South and East Bourke Record (Vic. : 1882 - 1902), p. 2 (MORNING.). Retrieved August 6, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article60684043 (formation of footpath in front of Watson’s and Morris’s hotels) 1.9. ELTHAM. (1911, August 4). Evelyn Observer and Bourke East Record (Vic. : 1902 - 1917), p. 3 (MORNING.). Retrieved August 6, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article60654497 (Drunken railway workers working on Hurstbridge extension) 1.10. Advertising (1924, February 22). Advertiser (Hurstbridge, Vic. : 1922 - 1939), p. 4 (AFTERNOON). Retrieved August 6, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article56656795 (Eltham Dining Rooms - Late Morriss's Hotel - Mrs Fyffe) 1.11. Eltham. (1925, September 11). Advertiser (Hurstbridge, Vic. : 1922 - 1939), p. 3 (AFTERNOON). Retrieved August 6, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article56658829 (New Eltham Hotel under construction)) 1.12. Eltham. (1925, June 5). Advertiser (Hurstbridge, Vic. : 1922 - 1939), p. 2 (AFTERNOON). Retrieved August 6, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article56658482 (New Eltham Hotel to be built) 1.13. Eltham. (1925, July 10). Advertiser (Hurstbridge, Vic. : 1922 - 1939), p. 2 (AFTERNOON). Retrieved August 6, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article56658620 (Demolition of original Eltham Hotel) 1.14. LICENSING PROSECUTIONS AT ELTHAM. (1929, June 14). Advertiser (Hurstbridge, Vic. : 1922 - 1939), p. 2 (AFTERNOON.). Retrieved August 6, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article57760053 1.15. KANGAROO GROUND HOTEL (1930, August 8). Advertiser (Hurstbridge, Vic. : 1922 - 1939), p. 1. Retrieved August 6, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article57763225 1.16. Big Fire at Eltham : Extensive Damage (1931, February 20). Advertiser (Hurstbridge, Vic. : 1922 - 1939), p. 1. Retrieved August 6, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article56734450 (Former Evelyn Hotel destroyed) 1.17. FIRE AT RESEARCH (1931, March 20). Advertiser (Hurstbridge, Vic. : 1922 - 1939), p. 1. Retrieved August 6, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article56734679 (Research Hotel destroyed by fire) 1.18. On the thirsty road to the diggings, A Journey in Time, Nillumbik Mail, Wednesday, September 6, 2000, p4 (Kangaroo Ground Hotel) 2. Eltham Hotel 1850 / 1925 2.1. Photocopy of photo of Watson’s Hotel “On the road to Melbourne” (EDHS_00133) 2.2. Photocopy of photo of Reed’s Eltham Hotel “Jim at "The Pub" (EDHS_01777-3); Reed's Eltham Hotel 2.3. Notes by Harry Gilham of early proprietors Richard Warren and Benjamin Oliver Wallis. Also reference to Jack Moore 1911 of Kangaroo Ground Hotel and Mrs Harper and William Morris of Evelyn Hotel 3. Fountain Hotel / Evelyn Hotel 1852-1931 3.1. Photocopy of image showing Fountain Hotel with two-storey (EDHS_00137) 3.2. Typed chronology by date of events (by Harry Gilham) extracted from Evelyn Observer and Advertiser newspapers 3.3. Letter: (Copy) Jean Uhl to Peter Bassett-Smith, 30 September 1979 of index records to Forresters’ Hotel and Fountain Hotel (with reference to Susan Chapman of Greensborough Hotel) 3.4. Handwritten notes (Harry Gilham) timeline of building use 3.5. Copy of hand drawn map (Harry Gilham) of hotel site 3.6. Copy of William Morris advertisement July 18, 1890 3.7. Copy of Order of Programme; Procession then Inaugural Meeting (1860) at the Fountain Hotel (Eltham Church Committee) 3.8. Copy of “President’s Findings” by Harry Gilham with a summarised history of the hotel EDHS Newsletter No. 183, November 2008 3.9. Information sheet, 19th Century Portable Iron Houses, National Trust 3.10. Pamphlet: Portable 19th Century Iron Houses, National Trust, Calendar of Events, Sep-Dec 2008 4. Public Lists on Trove 4.1. Eltham – Hotels https://trove.nla.gov.au/list/164536 4.2. Eltham - Hotels (Eltham Hotel 1854 / 1925) https://trove.nla.gov.au/list/158092 4.3. Eltham - Hotels (Fountain / Evelyn Hotel 1852-1931) https://trove.nla.gov.au/list/164505HG Booklet 46harry gilham collection, eltham hotel, fountain hotel, 19th century portable iron houses, evelyn hotel, kangaroo ground hotel