Historical information

The Terminus Hotel, Wodonga was built by James Thompson Hatch in 1873, the same year the railway reached Wodonga from Melbourne. It was named due to its close proximity to the railway terminus. It was sold to Messrs George Day and Kenneth McLennan of Albury. It was first licenced to J.G. Morton in January 1874.
Annie Allen, from Ireland, took over as licensee of the hotel containing 14 rooms in 1879, after she and her husband, George James Allen, purchased it. In 1887 they added a new wing on the south boundary of the property next to Peter McLean’s store at 81 Sydney Road. The architects for the new wing were Gordon and Gordon. A billiard room, a dining room, and 18 other rooms were added on the vacant block of land between the Hotel and the Bank of Victoria. A balcony 6 feet wide was added on the north side. Included in the plans was the latest patent elevator, later known as a dumb waiter.
Allen died in 1889 aged 52, and Annie Allen continued to run the Terminus. She later married John G. Haldon and was licensee of the hotel until December 1898 when the licence was transferred to William Carkeek. Carkeek, from Cornwall, arrived in the colony around 1860 and is considered one of the founders of Tallangatta. In November 1903, the license was transferred to Daniel Crawford, then in 1906 it was transferred to Mr Stephen Carkeek.
In 1916 it passed into the hands of Mr H. W. Allen of Rutherglen, son of Mr George James Allen.

On 1st June 1998 the Terminus Hotel was destroyed by fire. Estimates of damage range from between a conservative $750,000 to as high as $2 million. The remains of the building were demolished in 1999.

Significance

The Terminus Hotel was one of the earliest hotels in Wodonga with clear links to the establishment of the railway line. It was an important business and meeting place for social gatherings.

Physical description

On 21 December 1898 an application to transfer the license of the Terminus Hotel from Mrs Annie Haldon to Mr William Carkeek was lodged This was granted by the Wodonga Licensing Court on 12 January 1899. In February of that year, it was transferred to Mrs. Rebecca Carkeek. William Carkeek died on 17 March 1900, aged 57 years. In November 1900 Mr. Daniel Crawford took over the license.
In March 1906, the Carkeek family returned to the Terminus Hotel when their son Stephen purchased the business. In January 1909, tenders were invited for Freehold Purchase of the property. It was available on a 7 year lease at a rental of £9 per week
In 1913 Stephen Carkeek disposed of the goodwill of the business to Mr Wilson of Grenfell, New South Wales, thus ending the Carkeek family’s long association with the Terminus Hotel. He died in Beechworth on 16 May 1928.

Inscriptions & markings

Across side of building "CARKEEK'S TERMINUS FAMILY HOTEL"