Historical information
The wooden dresser came from the Terminus Hotel in High St., Wodonga.
In 1873, James Thompson Hatch built the two-storeyed Terminus Hotel at 79 Sydney Road (later known at High Street), then sold it to George Day and Kenneth McLennan for £1,230. It was first licensed to J. G. Morton in January 1874.
In 1879, Annie Allen, from Ireland, took over as licensee of the hotel containing 14 rooms, after she and her husband, George James Allen, purchased it. He became licensee in 1883. Under the Allens, the Terminus became, ‘a principal rendezvous for visitors to the town.’
September 1888 saw additions to the building that included a billiard room, a dining room, and 18 other rooms. Following the death of her husband in 1889, Annie Allen continued to run the Terminus Hotel. She later married John Haldon and was licensee of the hotel until 1893 when the licence was transferred to William Carkeek.
In the early 1900s the Hotel was thoroughly renovated.
The Terminus Hotel was for sale by auction on 5th March 1909. It comprised about 50 rooms, a two-storey building built of brick and iron with hot and cold water service and acetylene gas throughout. The principal hotel in Wodonga, was let from 1st January 1909 on a seven years’ lease at a rental of £9 per week.
1935 saw extensive improvements by proprietor W. P. Kinney, while in 1941 further extensive improvements were carried out to make a good hotel better.
A pall of shock and disbelief descended over Wodonga’s historic Terminus Hotel on 1st June 1998 when it was destroyed by fire then demolished in 1999. The site was sold for almost $1 million and redeveloped for a medical clinic.
Significance
The wooden dresser has local significance as it came from the Terminus Hotel in High St., Wodonga.
Physical description
Wooden dresser with a mirror, two small side drawers and two large drawers with circular recessed metal handles and metal castors.
