Historical information

John J. Huntly appears to have been the only licensee of the Royal Oak Hotel, built in 1858. He was a Councillor of the Municipality of Belfast at the time and later became the Secretary of the newly formed Minhamite Shire in 1872.

By 1861 D. Smith appears as the licensee of the now named Commercial Hotel.

In 1877 it was offered for sale—the building described as
follows “Built of bluestone with slate roof, having a frontage to Bank street of 106 feet, 6 inches. Accommodation consists of twelve bedrooms, eight sitting rooms, bathroom, bar and cellar and detached kitchen also of bluestones, with outside offices.
Around this time beside its usual business the hotel had
various rooms for visiting doctors and a dentist.
Dr. Berncastle, who was associated with the Sydney Eye
Infirmary, performed several operations there on those
suffering from cataracts.

It was the meeting place for the Port Fairy Freemasons,
before their Lodge was built in James street, and all the local sporting clubs, at one time or another.

The veranda was added in 1900.

The name Royal Oak was restored this century, but the name Commercial Hotel can still be seen in the leadlight window over the front entrance.

The hotel still continues serving patrons with beverages and meals but no beds these days. There is also an addition to the building, as seen in the bottom illustration— a bottle shop

Physical description

Black and white photograph of 8 males formally posed outside entrance to Commercial hotel