Mrs Mary McPherson 1886
Mrs Mary McPherson was the owner of the Welcome Home Hotel when she applied for the victualler’s licence for the hotel in July 1886. Mary was then a widow with two children, and had held a licence for four years previously on the Central Railway. The hotel was one of the first hotels to make its way to Barcaldine in 1886, and was situated in Oak Street where currently operates.
Mary appears to have sold the hotel to Thomas Lawrence Forbes at the end of 1886. In mid-December 1886, Thomas Lawrence Forbes applied for the hotel licence to be transferred from Mary to him, and then applied for the licence at the end of December.
Thomas L Forbes 1886-at least 1891
Christopher Schneider 1892-93
In 1892, Christopher Schneider purchased the Welcome Home Hotel from Thomas Forbes for £700. By February 1892 Christopher Schneider was the proprietor. ‘Old Schneider always on the spot to welcome his friends’. [In March 1892, the Welcome Home Hotel, Longreach opened with Thomas L. Forbes, late of Welcome Home Hotel Barcaldine, as the proprietor].
On 17 April 1893 the partnership between James Thurecht and Christopher Schneider, trading as Blacksmiths and Wheelwrights, was dissolved by mutual consent. The business was to be carried on by James Thurecht, Schneider’s son-in-law. Thurecht paid £200 to Schneider for his share.
Christopher Schneider, licensed victualler, was declared insolvent from 26 May 1893. [Christopher Schneider was the grandfather of Rita and Mary Schneider and the great grandfather of Melinda Schneider (singer). He died on 14 June 1899 at Barcaldine aged 65 yrs.]
James Page 1892-1897
In 1892, James Page bought the goodwill, furniture, stock-in-trade and five year lease of the Welcome Home Hotel from Christopher Schneider for £370.
[James Page went on to build the Exchange Hotel. He renamed the Exchange to Page’s Hotel, retaining ownership until his death in 1921 in Melbourne. He became a member of the shire council in 1894 and then became the federal Member for Maranoa until he died].
Thomas Clougher, William Hatch
In December 1897, the Welcome Home Hotel was being run by Thomas Clougher & Sadlier. [Clougher also owned a hall, Clougher’s Hall].
On 4 March 1899, Clougher was fined for permitting disorderly conduct in the Welcome Home Hotel.
In June 1899 John Hatch is licensee of the Welcome Home Hotel, but by 8 July 1899 – Thomas Clougher transfers licence to Mr C F Edwards. 14 April 1900 – Charles Francis Edwards is Licensee Manager for Mrs McIntosh. In May 1902 John Hatch is advertising as the licensee.
July 1902 – John Hatch transferred the Welcome Home Hotel licence to William Kemp. Kemp was married with four children, and had held the licence of the Half-way Hotel on the Aramac road for nine years previously.
William Kemp 1902-
November 1902 – Welcome Home Hotel, William Kemp Licensee
9 August 1909 – Fire destroys the Welcome Home Hotel owned by Mrs Mary McIntosh.
[Kemp’s Hall adjoining the hotel’s out-houses is not damaged in the fire; left standing in Ash Street].
Mary McIntosh remains owner after the new hotel is built and renamed the Federal Hotel.
The Federal Hotel traded on site until it was burnt down in the 1909 Oak Street fire. It was rebuilt and became known as the Federal Hotel.
The name changed from Welcome Home Hotel to Federal Hotel when W Kemp was licensee in May 1910.
