George Long was licensee of the Terminus Hotel from 1886 until 1887. The hotel was often called Long’s Hotel, and was situated on the Oak Street site where the video shop then cafe operated in the 1970s – 2010s.
James Ah Foo bought the Terminus from Long in 1887 and licenced and renamed it the Springsure Hotel. The history of Jimmy, Evelina and their 13 children is a truly remarkable story.
‘This book explores the history of the Ah Foo family of western Queensland, which began with the 1866 marriage of a Chinese boarding house keeper, Jimmy Ah Foo, and an English girl, Evelina Vessey. Facing racism, economic hardship and the rigours of frontier life, the couple produced thirteen children and travelled widely, settling in the towns of Springsure, Ravenswood, Cooktown, Barcaldine, Longreach and Rockhampton. Running hotels and other businesses on goldfields and along the developing stock and railway routes, the family earned much fame and respect. The Ah Foos were among the pioneers of the Outback’.
Prior to the Ah Foos arriving in Barcaldine, the licence transfer apparently took some consideration by the Licensing Bench:
In the transfer of licence from George Long to James Ah Foo, of Springsure, the Bench retired, and after some time spent in discussion, resumed court. Mr. Francis, in the course of a long speech, said the Bench were of opinion that there were too many public-houses in the town, but as they did not like to interfere with vested interests, the license would be granted ; they would, how ever, decline to grant any new licenses, and would not, indeed, promise to renew any at the termination of their six months. Permits have to be restricted, and such permits would only be given for one night per-week for the future, instead of two nights as at present. Mr. Campbell was present, but did not take a seat on the Bench, as he would have unhesitatingly objected to Ah Foo being licenced, and he left it for the magistrates who had been connected with the town longer than himself to decide.
Ah Foo moved The Terminus Hotel from its original site to the block one along east from the corner of Oak and Willow Streets in 1890. Previously the Withersfield Hotel had been on the site, removed to Ilfracombe by its owner, Patrick Finn. Finn renamed his hotel in Ilfracombe the Wellshot, which is still operating today. James (Jimmy) Ah Foo renamed the Terminus to the Springsure Hotel. Jimmy had been the owner of the Springsure Hotel in Springsure before moving to Barcaldine.
During the 1891 shearers’ strike he was the proprietor of the Springsure. He had supported the shearers for years before. As a sign of appreciation from his patrons, he received a painting of the shearers’ strike camp site.
After the strike ended, Jimmy left Barcaldine in July 1891 to take up as licensee of the Federal Hotel in Longreach. He donated the painting to the Barcaldine Union office. The new licensee of the Springsure Hotel was Mr Patrick McCabe.
Mr J S Butler was the licensee of the hotel in March 1894, and in 1895 applied to transfer the licence to Mrs Margaret Devery who in turn transferred the licence to her husband Owen Devery in July 1900.
The Springsure Hotel traded until 1909 when it bunt down in an Oak Street fire. By then it was owned by Owen Devery. In 1910 he had rebuilt the hotel and named it Devery’s.
