Historical information

The Royal Mail Hotel was first recorded as a Hotel 1863 and it was noted as a Stage Coach Office for Cobb and Co in 1863 in the “Victorian Gazetteer”. The Hotel was located on Allot. 21 Sec. 2 on the corner of Peter and Alberts Streets, Golden Point, Blackwood.

James Millyard was the first known Hotel Keeper. The Hotel was nearly destroyed by fire in 1878 when most of the shingle roof was burnt. The next recorded owner was Colin McLennan in 1879 until 1889. Frederick Cotton was owner from 1890 until1893. Mrs. Mary Linnehan was Hotel Keeper until 1899 when it was bought by William Byres (2nd). The Byres family owned and operated the Royal Mail Hotel, which was also a stage coach office in the early days. The Byres family had arrived in Australia in 1857 and were first recorded as having a house with sod walls and a calico roof and had a store.

Mr. Byres had the hotel until his death in July 1913, and it was relicensed on December 31, 1913.

From then on it was run by his wife, Annie Byres and her daughters as a Guest House where they took in guests and was classed as a Temperance Hotel until 1924.