Star Hotel

The Star Hotel was located in Main Road, Ballarat East. It burnt down in 1861.

The People

William Irwin

George Moreland received a license for Star Hotel. Main Road on 1863.

In the News

FIRE IN THE MAIN ROAD. - Soon after five o'clock on Saturday morning a fire broke out on the premises of the Star Hotel, and in the course of thirty or forty minutes the hotel - so often scorched by other Main road conflagrations - and most of the outbuildings, together with the adjoining; premises on the east side, were burnt to the ground, with most, of the property they contained. It appears that the fire broke out in No. 2 bedroom belonging to the hotel, the room being of wood, - like all the premise destroyed - and situated on the ground floor at the rear of the premises, occupied by Messrs Binney and Broadbent, the carriers, who rented a frontage from Mr Irwin, the proprietor of the hotel. We are informed that two persons had gone to bed drunk in the room where the fire broke out, and that the discovery of the fire was first made by the occupants of bed room No. 3. These allegtions are pregnant with serious suggestiveness.

The fire bell of the Eastern Brigade tolled out the alarm early, and the engine and apparatus of the Brigade were rapidly on the spot, followed about fifteen minutes after by the engine and apparatus of the Western Brigade. Before either body of firemen, however, could reach the spot, the fire had got hold of the whole mass of frail buildings contiguous to the source of the conflagration, and it became evident that all that could done was to confine the ruin to the hotel and the premises between it, and the store of Messrs Tuxen & Co. Fortunately there was no wind, and the burning places were bounded on one side by the brick walls of Messrs Tuxen and Co.'s store, and on the other by the sludge channel, a small wooden shop and the brick walls of Mr Rowe's store. This being the case it was pretty clear that with vigilance the disaster might be confined within the limits described. And this was done. With their usual hardihood the firemen buckled to, got on the tops of the buildings abutting on the burning premises, and by throwing ceaseless jets of water upon the, as yet, uncaught houses, pulling down the burning fragments of the hotel, and pouring what spare water ass available upon the glowing mass between, succeeded in preventing the fire from spreading beyond the premises originally ignited. The fire, albeit there was no wind, ate up the buildings within its reach with fearful rapidity. The alarm was no sooner heard then the flames had mastered the bedroom where they began, and had got hold of the kitchen at the rear of Mr Mather's shop, the back premises of Messrs Tuxen & Co., and the back part of the storeroom occupied by Messrs Binney and Broadbent, and which contained packages of luggage of diverse sorts.

In the meantime the flames crossed the narrow right of way separating the bedroom from the hotel, and the large mass of woodwork composing the well known hostelry, the famous old concert room and the new bar, soon became a mass of fire. Mr Irwin had no time to save any-thing scarcely, losing cash and papers, as well as the greater part of everything else the premises contained. We regret to say that his anxiety to rescue some of his property, Mr Irwin got severely burnt, while his servants for the most part also lost everything they possessed. Mr Carrick, who occupied a portion of the hotel as a boot shop, on the side most remote from the fire, managed to save nearly all his valuable stock. Luckily the stables at the rear, containing a large number of coach horses belonging to Mr O'Connor, beside other horses stabled there, were cut off from the burning premises by a wide yard, and there being no wind, they all escaped. The shop between the hotel and Mr Rowe's store, belonging to Mr Rowe. and occupied by Mr Koppers, a hairdresser, was uninjured by the fire, but was partially destroyed by order of Mr Rodier and another gentleman, but before the work of pulling down was completed it was seen that the danger over the fire spreading in that direction was over. On the other side the work of destruction was fiercer and more complete. A valuable new coach belonging to Mr O'Connor, of the Smythesdale line, and standing in the hotel yard, was destroyed. The whole of the premises occupied by Messrs Binney & Broadbent and all the contents were destroyed, no person residing there.

Mr Mather's place was also soon in ashes the occupants saving but about half their property, a little pet dog being burnt among the things lost. The wooden outhouses in the rear of Messrs Tuxen & Co., with stores, kitchen utensils, bath room, &c, were destroyed, the windows of the brick store were burnt and considerable damage done to the goods in the store by the torrents of water poured upon the roof and sides of the building to prevent its ignition. By six o'clock the ruin was completed , and the brigades had nothing but heaps of smouldering embers to play upon, which they did with patient care till all danger was past. The following is the list of premises destroyed, with what particulars as to losses and insurance we could collect:

Mr Irwin-Star Hotel, concert room, boot shop, outhouses, and stock, including 50 stand of arms belonging to the Government, for the use of the Rifle Corps. Estimated loss, £1500; insured for £500 in the Victoria Company. Mr Irwin had previously

been insured for £1500, but the rate of premium being raised he bad insured for a smaller amount.

Mr O'Connor, coach proprietor-Loss estimated at £130, a stud of horses being fortunately saved.

Messrs Binney & Broadbent, carriers Loss of goods estimated at £300. Mr Irwin owner of premises.

Mr Mather, tin worker-Loss estimated at near £100. Mr Taylor owner; uninsured loss about the same.

Messrs Tuxen & Co.-Insured in the Northern Company. Loss in outhouses at the rear about £60 or £70, and in goods and store about £100.

Mr Rowe-Injury to shop occupied by Koppers about £8 or £10.

In the above list we do not include the losses sustained by the servants or lodgers in the hotel, but, as we have already stated, some of the hotel people lost their all, one young woman alone losing £35 in money.

A drunken groom in Mr O'Connor's employ was given in charge for theft at the fire, and will be brought up at the Eastern Police Court to-day.

We regret to repeat that grave suspicions exist that the destruction of property by this fire is also due to the most criminal and drunken carelessness on the part of some of the employees about the premises where the fire originated. But we will not forstall inquiry that will be made, no doubt, under the direction of the Coroner. Mr Irwin had only returned on the previous evening from burying the remains of the late Miss Spiden at Smythesdale, and we hear it was his intention to give a benefit for her survivors at the concert room so long known in Ballarat as a place of entertainment, but which has at last gone the way of so many similar places of resort in the Main Road. The projected benefit is therefore impracticable, but the elasticity of business energy was seen in connection with this the latest disaster as in former scenes of a similar description in the all-enduring Main Road, for, before the day was over, a Star bar was opened where the barber's shop had been, and sympathising nobblerisers flocked to host Irwin's counter as soon as the improvised place of business was ready.

Also See

Ballarat Reform League

Ballarat Reform League Inc. Ballarat Monuments