Grogan Hotel

The Argus Newspaper of Young dated the 16th June 1880 describes the journey to Temora .

 “As a distance of 56 miles (91km) away from Young by way of Grogan, the road is good in fine weather but in wet it will soon become a slough, under traffic. The crossing place at the Grogan Creek is a very bad one.”

With the increase of traffic to Temora after the discovery of gold, a new Hotel emerged.

Samuel Arthur Perry, late of “Hopkins and Gates Millinery shop”, Burrangong house Young, opened his new Hotel at Grogan on the 28th September, 1880. The Grogan Hotel was located on a piece of Walter Rutherford’s land and was leased to Perry for a period of three years.

However on the night of the 5th May, 1881, the Hotel was completely destroyed by fire. Perry was acquitted on charges of having set the fire himself on the 4th October 1881.

Later that year, John and Margaret Mc Garth, who owned 300 acres (121 Hectares) nearby, set about rebuilding the Hotel, and by June 1881 the new Travellers Rest Hotel was back, the new building being near the creek. It also served as a Stage Coach Inn, Store and mail run stop.

The McGrath’s continued with the Hotel with John becoming the license holder in 1882.

William Henry Staniforth was the publican from 1894 –1898. A Mr. Ford was also tending the bar at some time in 1899.

                                                                                                                                                                            Mr. J Holohan began running the hotel in late 1899 until 1911, whilst also running the mail From Young to Grogan, via the cleared road to Temora returning to Young, via West Temora in 1901.                  

1912 saw Mr. John Major as the new licensee

The hotel was well used by the Grogan Jockey Club from 1900 with the first race meeting being held in Mr P.J.Cooney’s paddock in 1913. Several side shows and Jimmy Sharman’s boxing tent were in attendance as well.

Mr. Thomas O’Keefe, late of Stockinbingal, purchased the old establishment and refurbished it around 1913 and ran it until 1919.

Mr. John. W. Izzard was the Publican on the 16^th March,1920.

In 1922 the main portion of the Hotel was again destroyed by fire, with Thomas O'Keefe as the owner at that time. It wasn’t until two years later, that O’Keefe decided that he would transfer the license to the new Commercial Hotel at Barellen.