Let me tell you the incredible history of a small town pub in the Adelaide Hills that very few know of …

The tiny town of Gumeracha is currently best known for being home to the World’s Biggest Rocking Horse, the place the Medieval Fair is held each year, and of course the local wines. However up until around the mid 1900s the local pub was a tourist attraction, and not just for the beer, it was for the thousands of names written on its walls. It was so well-known that it even gained the reputation of being Australia’s largest “visiting book” hotel in the process.

The town, which was founded by William Beavis Randell in the 1850s, has had a pub there almost as long. The map below is a portion of a town plan of Gumeracha dated from 1860, and shows that the corner block (where the hotel is) was owned by A Vorwerk, who is also listed as the first owner of District Hotel from 1861.

portion of town plan map of Gumeracha, dated 1860

Here’s an extract from the Gumeracha 1839-1939 book:

“The main front walls of the District Hotel are composed of a local chalkstone, and probably on no other walls of a building in any other part of Australia are engraved so many names and initials. From ground level up to the top of the balcony roof there are a thousand or more of them, many of them representing people who in later years became very prominent in the State. As is only natural, callers at this old hostelry scrutinise the names on its walls with the very greatest interest.”

And from a newspaper article on the History of Hotels dated 2 June 1951:

South Australia has a hotel with the largest “visiting-book” of any in Australia. It is the District Hotel at Gumeracha, a two-storied corner building of very soft sandstone. From pavement to roof the outer walls are covered with names and initials so that there is hardly a square inch vacant. Thousands of penknives must have scraped away busily over the years. Some names are dated back to 1876.

looking down the main street of Gumeracha with the District Hotel on the right, 1888/1889

the District Hotel at Gumeracha, c1910

Initials and coats of arm engraved into the bricks of the hotel at Gumeracha c.1936.  [photo source: State Library of South Australia, PRG 287/1/4/4]

But wouldn’t it be fascinating to know the stories of those who visited the hotel? Did locals etch their name into the walls? I’m sure many were visitors from Adelaide or beyond. And who were the ones ones who went on to become prominent in the state? So many questions …

While the hotel has been through many, many owners, the hotel itself has surprisingly only had two name changes in its long history. Beginning as the District Hotel back in 1861, this continued though until 1959, when its changed name to the Gumeracha Hotel, which is still is today.

the District  Hotel, c.1950

Gumeracha Hotel, 2013

The following is an extract from the book “Hotels and Publicans in South Australia 1836 to 1984”, by J.L. “Bob” Hoad

Owners of the District Hotel, Gumeracha
1861 – 1861 Vorweck, A.
1862 – 1864 Williams, J.
1864 – 1865 Pearce, S.
1866 – 1866 Jahn, H.
1867 – 1868 Day, E.
1869 – 1873 Hewish, H.
1873 – 1875 Cobb, J.H.
1875 – 1878 Rundle, John
1879 – 1880 Rundle, James
1880 – 1881 Scheck, Charles
1882 – 1889 Scheck, Carl
1890 – 1891 Scheck, L.
1892 – 1892 Scheck, Mrs L.
1893 – 1902 Gerhard, Mrs E.
1903 – 1904 Humphries, W.J.
1905 – 1914 Finch, Mrs H.
1915 – 1919 Tidswell, Mrs F.
1920 – 1921 Tidswell, H.R.K.
1922 – 1926 Coe, Mrs Ethel
1927 – 1927 Corcoran, P.M.
1928 – 1931 Corcoran, Mrs Catherine T.
1931 – 1935 Jonas, John D.
1935 – 1936 Clarke, John C.
1936 – 1938 Bruggemann, Fredk. E.
1938 – 1944 Venner, Mrs Nellie Emily
1944 – 1945 Simpson, Thelma Josephine
1946 – 1947 Cosgrave, Patrick Thomas Joseph
1946 – 1947 Walkom, Colin Douglas
1947 – 1952 Cosgrave, Patrick Thomas Joseph
1952 – 1953 Cosgrave, Jessie Eileen

Owners of the Gumeracha Hotel, Gumeracha
1953 – 1/1963 Roden, Mostyn John Anthony & Mary Geraldine
1/1963 – 3/1963 Childs, William Albert Edward
3/1963 – 5/1963 Roden, Mostyn John Anthony & Mary Geraldine
5/1963 – 1966 Hayes, Sydney Walter & Marie Teresa
1966 – 1969 Kessner, Jessie Josephine
1969 – 1970 Caon, Luigi & Roma Pearl
1970 – 1973 Kennedy, Robert Angus & Alexius May
1973 – 1976 McDonald, Stanley Richard & Fay Doris
1976 – 6/1983 Shields, Graham Edward & Barbara Marion Joyce
6/1983 – 6/1983 Cooper, Malcolm George
6/1983 – 1984 Shields, Graham Edward & Barbara Marion Joyce

Isn’t it funny how you learn history through ‘things’?

My history lesson this week has been about Patriotic Day. I admit that I hadn’t heard of such a day, but thanks to a purchase of the badge (as shown above) on ebay, I was inspired to find out more.

But what’s interesting is that I found very little on it. Wikipedia and Google both let me down, so I headed to Trove, but even they didn’t have much.

It doesn’t seem to have been an Australia-wide thing, or even a South Australia-wide thing, but rather something the townsfolk have decided to do for themselves. Held in 1917 and in 1918 (at  least that’s all I could find), it seems that in 1917 it was used to raise fund for the war effort, and in 1918, was used to support the returned soldiers and the families of those who didn’t.

Daily Herald, 17 October 1917 p. 8 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article105435537

The Advertiser, 4 October 1918, p. 7. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article5595919

The Advertiser, 9 October 1918, p. 2. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article5597340

If anyone has further information about Gumeracha’s Patriotic Day, please leave a comment below, as I’d love to know more about it.

And don’t you just love the image of the Gum weir on the badge … how cool is that? And for those that are unfamiliar with the region, here is a actual pic of the weir (below).

Gumeracha weir

What was the first car in South Australia? Or why not make that Australia? If your answer was anything to do with Henry Ford, you’d actually be wrong.

In fact the honour of the first car in Australia actually is an Australian built one and goes to a gent from Mannum, which is a small country town along the River Murray …

Below is a portion of an article from Adelaide’s ‘The Mail’ newspaper, dated 10 July 1926. You can read the full article on the Trove website.

Well known in South Australia as a manufacturer of farm implements, Mr. David Shearer, of Mannum, River Murray,can claim to be Australia’s first inventor of a motor car. In the early nineties he designed and built a power-propelled vehicle, which, a few years later, astonished all Adelaide as it chugged its way through the streets at 15 miles an hour. Special permission from the Mayor had to be obtained before the car could be driven through the streets.

Designed 10 years before Henry Ford’s first models, little is known today of the South Australian’s invention, but farmers, who lived a quarter of a century ago in and around Mannum remember how Mr. Shearer worked day and night on his “automobile,” and they relate today to the younger generation, how Mannum might have been the Detroit of Australia.

England’s first car, which made its appearance two years after Mr. Shearer’s, had a speed of 10 to 12 miles an hour, while the South Australian car actually travelled at 15 miles an hour.

Australia’s First Motor Car – Mr Shearer with his family and relatives about to set out on a run in his car.

Anyway this post isn’t going into the deep history of “Australia’s first motor car”, as I have something exciting to share with you.

It was 1906 when registration for cars and motorbikes (known back in the day as “motor cars” and “motor bikes”) came into effect in South Australia, and I have found a listing of about over 1400 of them. This list is featured in a book that came out in 1908, and while I’d love to list them all here, I can’t, so I’ve chosen to list just the first 50 of both motor car registrations and motor bike registrations. Each entry gives the registration number, name of owner and address (suburb or town), as shown below.

So where did I find this information? In a title called “Tourists Road Guide: South Australia 4th Ed 1908“. This is a title that has been digitised by Archive Digital Books Australasia, and is available on both CD or as a ebook download.

MOTOR CAR REGISTRATIONS
Number, Name, Address
1 Hargreaves, W.A. Woodville
2 Waite, Peter Glen Osmond
3 Gunson, Dr. J.B. Angas Street
4 Cudmore, Dr. A.M. North Terrace
5 Swift, Dr. H. Victoria Square
6 Ayers, F.G. Waymouth Street
7 Morgan, Dr. A.M. Angas Street
8 Ayers, A.E. King William Street
9 Waterhouse, A. East Terrace
10 Rymill, E.S. East Terrace
11 Rymill, A.G. Glenelg
12 McFarlane, A. Wellington East
13-14 Lendon, Dr. A.A. North Terrace
15 Harris, F.J. Gawler
16 Florey, J. Malvern
17 Smith, T.E. Barr Currie Street
18 Scarfe, A.A. Burnside
19 Marsden, Dr. W.C. Willunga
20 Meikle, Dr. A.J. Yankalilla
21 Smith, Drs. O.W and A.A. Clare
22 Pilkington, C.G. Marryatville
23-24 Ralli, S.S. Adelaide
25 Knox, N.A. Burnside
26 Brown, A.P. Mintaro
27 Gebhardt, L.W. Mount Bryan
28 Gebhardt, Albert G. Kooringa
29 Fooks, Dr. E.V.R. Gawler
30 Crank, Peter Unley Park
31 Hayward, Dr. W.T. Norwood
32 Borthwick, Dr. T. Kensington
33 Marten, Dr. R.H. North Terrace
34 Walker, J.R. King William Street
35 Summers, A.C. Parkside
36 Souter, Dr. C.H.J. Adelaide
37 Bollen, Dr. P. Semaphore
38 Walker, J.W. Mannum
39 Glynn, Dr R. McM. Riverton
40 Rogers, G.J. Wallaroo Bay
41 Main, Hugh Mintaro
42 Shearer, D. Mannum
43 Shearer, J. Mannum
44 Sangster, Dr. J.I. Kooringa
45-46 Reissmann, Dr. C. Norwood
47 Broad, A.S. Unley
48 Davidson, W.L. Hackney
49 Wilksch, E.H.E. King William Street
50 Lavers, Dr. R. North Adelaide

MOTOR BIKE REGISTRATIONS
Number, Name, Address
1 Bannigan, J. Malvern
2 Rymill, E.S. East Terrace
3 McFarlane, G.H. Wellington East
4 Woods, Dr. G. Clarendon
5 Doudney, Rev. H.W. Prospect
6 Parker, V.H. Ovingham
7 Bruce, D.W. Norwood
8 Torode, W.C. Fullarton
9 Hancock, F. Moonta
10 Jenkins, C.J.A. Adelaide
11 Rowland, J.M. Adelaide
12 Smith, Dr. A.A. Clare
13 Fidge, E.L. Aldinga
14 Osborne, jun. E.A. Prospect
15 Taylor, R.Y. Payneham
16 Pearce, R.J. Paradise
17 Hall, V.F. Parkside
18 Potts, R.V. Langhorne’s Creek
19 Sanders, J.B. Woodchester
20 McTavish, G. Callington
21 Segar, F. East Adelaide
22 Allnutt, W.A. Wayville
23-24 Wagener, W. East Adelaide
25 Anderson, A.T. Halbury
26 Diamond Brothers Adelaide
27 Lowry, E.J. Gawler
28 Magee, C.C. Penola
29 Shepherdson, G.A. Mount Gambier
30 Nicolls, J. Nantawarra
31 Rooney, R.J. Bute
32 Joyner, O. North Adelaide
33 Dunlop Rubber Company Adelaide
34 Lee, W.A. Gumeracha
35 Collett, L.A. Highbury
36 Trengove, J. Bute
37 Netter, N. Adelaide
38 Gault, A.H. Lower Mitcham
39 Mullins, M.M. New Mile-End
40 May, S.H. Kilkenny
41 Griggs, W.L. Balaklava
42 Import Company Adelaide
43 Davidson, E.S. Hackney
44 Souter, J.F. Uraidla
45 Ambrose, W.S. Mitcham
46 Bettess, W.S. Bute
47 Tidswell, H.R.K. Unley
48 Bond, F.T. Modbury
49 Adamson, H.J. Forestville
50 Eaton, G.W. Medindie

The registration details are only a small portion of what this book actually includes. The title I feel is rather misleading, as it makes it sound rather boring. But if you take the time to look at it, you’ll not only you’ll find the 1400 or so motor vehicle registrants (530 for motor car, and 878 for motor bike), but a heap of maps, times and distances to get to places, together with routes, places you can buy petrol, car clubs, the motoring laws, a heap of adverts that relate to cars. So you’ll find adverts for tyres, mechanics, oils, and even new cars.

Buy now on CD – $16.50
Buy now as a download ebook – $9.95

[Please note I have been given permission from Archive Digital Books Australasia to reproduce some of the detail, in this list]

I have come across an incredible source of information relevant to my research. One that includes local town news choc full of anecdotes relating to the locals, mentions of births, deaths, marriages and obituaries, and a heap of adverts from the local area. So just what are these records?

Church Journals!

Really? You bet.

Let me give you some examples.

Here is a page from the “Local News” section (also called “Editorial Notes”, “Miscellaneous” or “Church News” in various editions) …

‘Local News’, Salem Messenger, March 1893

So you’ll see from this one page of Local News we learn of several people’s  health troubles, several people moving, the introduction of some of the new equipment in the district, election chances, local meetings, a new business venture, a prize a local business won, and a bunch more. And that’s just a page from ONE journal!

You’ll also find some marriage and death notices (sorry no births afterall. But how do you write BDMs without births? DMs just doesn’t make sense) …

Salem Messenger, 7 January 1905

Salem Messenger, 7 January 1905

Salem Messenger, 1 April 1913

And of course the obituaries which are just awesome!

Salem Messenger, 1 October 1900

As well as anniversaries …

Salem Messenger, April 1896

And other newsworthy events, like town sports news and this brave deed!

Salem Messenger, April 1896

Salem Messenger, January 1899

There’s also general history on the church, town and pioneers …

Salem Messenger, 10 January 1903

And if all that wasn’t fabulous enough, then there’s the adverts. Many from local businesses – others from Adelaide. Here’s just a few examples of them.

Salem Messenger, July 1894

Salem Messenger, January 1902

Salem Messenger, October 1911

So you see, there is potentially so much you can find in Church Journals. And while my family were heavily involved in the church scene, many other researchers would say their family wasn’t, so wouldn’t think to look in Church Journals.

So I hope this has opened your eyes to the possibilities of what could be out there. If you are fortunate enough to have a local church journal for your area, and it has survived, check it out! You just never know.

All of these samples have been taken from the Salem Messenger, which is the journal for the Salem Baptist Church at Gumeracha, South Australia. Apart from covering news about the town itself, it also mentions happening in the areas around North Gumeracha (now Forreston), Kenton Valley, Blumberg (now Birdwood), Mount Torrens, Cudlee Creek and a few other localities.

Fortunately for me (and everyone else with an interest in Gumeracha’s history), the Salem Messenger has been digisited and is available on CD from Gould Genealogy & History. And if you’re interested in finding out more about church records and church journals, I suggest having a read of Shauna Hicks’ book on Finding Ancestors in Church Records: A Brief Guide.