The
Lass O' Gowrie originally opened in 1889 as The Shanghai Lass, an
Opium Den catering to the needs of both locals and visiting sailors.
Famous throughout the Pacific for the quality of its merchandise and
intoxicating atmosphere, it was also well known for the repeated visits
of Sir Henry Parkes, premier of NSW at the time.
|
|
 |
In
1897 The Fallen Lass was closed by the church after its manager,
Superintendent
Hobson, was arrested for living off immoral earnings. The building
and land were bought by a Mr. Lemuel Puckridge, who cleared the
area
had a purpose built tallow rendering plant constructed. Business
was good for Mr. Puckridge, and his White Lady brand soap was sold
as
far away as Buladelah, Morpeth and Singleton. The tallow rendering
plant eventually became known as the "The
White Lady Factory" or, as most locals called it: "that
bloody stinking bastard of a soap factory".2 |
 |
|
Fortunately
for the locals, a massive fire in 1908 completely destroyed Puckridge's
White Lady Soap Factory and the land was rezoned residential. This
gave Messers Widebottom, Finch and Ziegefister,
from the famous Islington real estate firm of Ziegefister, Finch,
Widebottom & Associates the opportunity to realise their long
held vision of creating an new Australian utopia.
And
so, in April 1911 the first actual Hotel, the Lass O' Skibbereen,
was built on the site of the present pub. Sadly, a flea plague in
July 1911 caused the Hotel's closure, and the building was left
derelict for the next four years.
|
|
 |
Happily,
the opening of the BHP and the demand for drink by thirsty workers
during World War One saw the reopening of the hotel in 1915 under
the name of the Lass O' Drogheda. The publican, a Mr. Heywood Jablomé,
became renowned in the Wickham area for his skill as a rat juggler,
and it was reported that on most weekends, just before 6pm closing
time, Mr. Jablomé could be seen "drunk
as ten lords, screaming in French and throwing rats in every direction
of the compass."3 |
| By
1929, the Great Depression had hit Australia hard, and no place was
hit harder than the Lass O' Drogheda which saw its profits triple
almost overnight. Whether this was due to Mr. Jablomé's reputed
activities as the sly grog king of the Wickham/Carrington area or
his legendary business acumen has long been debated. For whatever
the reason, the extra money meant that in 1931 publican Jablomé
was able to add an extra story to the building, bringing the hotel
to its present form as the magnificent two story edifice that it is.
Unhappily for Mr. Jablomé, the increased height spelt his doom,
since within two weeks of the building work being completed he was
killed when he fell off the roof while tossing rats at legendary Newtown
Bluebags forward and police detective Frank 'Bumper' Farrell. |
|
 |
Between
1932 and 1993, the hotel was owned by a large number of people, on
average there was a new owner every five months. The name of the hotel
changed almost as frequently, with some of the more memorable being
The Lass O'Ballinasloe, The Lass O' Screggan, Our Lady of York, The
Goat And Compass, The Jolly Monkey, The Blue Boy, The Dorset Lad,
The Lad O' Gowrie and eventually its present name, The Lass O' Gowrie.
|
Finally,
in 1993 the current owners took over the Lass O' Gowrie. Reputed
to
have strong connections to various characters in the racing industry,
Ian Lobb and his family have turned the hotel into the Hunter Valley's
premier entertainment venue. With an excellent restaurant and a
strong
line-up of bands, the Lass O' Gowrie looks set to continue its proud
trading history well into the next century, if not the next millennium.  |
|
|
|
1.
Letter from Reverend Walter Troweller to Hon. Douglas Bass MLC, December
12, 1893.
2.
Complaint of Railway Street resident, Mrs. Enid Scruple, to her friend,
Eileen Bowforth of Bishopgate Street.
3.
Court report, April 23 1916, Newcastle Morning Herald.
4.
Artist may well have been drunk at the time.
|
