ANGUSVALE HOTEL
MITCHELL RIVER ACCESS ROAD COBBERAS, EAST GIPPSLAND SHIRE
-
Add to tour
You must log in to do that.
-
Share
-
Shortlist place
You must log in to do that.
- Download report
Statement of Significance
This record has minimal details. Please look to the right-hand-side bar for any further details about this record.
-
-
ANGUSVALE HOTEL - History
Updated 28/03/2021
In 1898, gold mining at Mitchelldale was exclusively alluvial with the river frontage claims along the Mitchell River were well worked by the very oldest residents of the area with claims paying miners’ wages (Trove website accessed 27 April 2020). Mitchelldale was situated south of Tabberabbera and it is believed that Mitchelldale encompasses the present day Angusvale (Steenhuis 2006:48). The remains of mining water races and disturbed ground associated with alluvial goldmining is evident today at Angusvale particularly in the south section of the activity area along the Mitchell River.
In 1883, Alfred Ostler a storekeeper at Mitchelldale offered traveller accommodation on his premises which was described as an hotel and store at the turn of the century. The premises comprised a six-room building with galvanised iron and bush timber walls, stone and iron chimneys, a stone oven and an orchard of 40 fruit trees planted in 1903 (Steenhuis 2006:48). In 1898, there is a record that Ostler applied for a roadside licence and in 1901 a tender was issued in the Government Gazette for the conveyance of mail once a week to Ostler’s at Mitchelldale (Trove website accessed 27 April 2020). Historic maps show that in the early twentieth century Ostler owned approximately 98 acres at Angusvale (Figure 14) and A. [Angus] Shaw possessed the miner’s right area of approximately 17 acres along the Angusvale Mitchell River frontage (State Library of Victoria Website access 27 April 2020 map of Department of Crown Lands & Survey 1912).Ostler’s hotel at Mitchelldale burnt down in 1899 when a servant rising very early, left a candle lighting in the bedroom and consequently set fire to the dressing table. When Ostler rose at 6am the hotel part of the premises was in flames. The hotel could not be saved but the post office and four rooms about 3.5m away from the hotel
were spared and Oster was recorded as intending to erect a new premises. The premises were not insured and the loss due to the fire was estimated at £300. (Bairnsdale Advertiser & Tambo & Omeo Chronicle 26 September 1899). The construction or location of the new premises is not recorded however the remains of the Angusvale Hotel evident at Angusvale are likely to be the ruins of Ostler’s premises.
In 1979, during an archaeological survey Pickering (1979:7) noted that a large amount of bottle glass and crockery fragments, a key, file and pieces of iron were visible on the ground at the hotel location. The remains of the Angusvale Hotel have been recorded on the Victorian Heritage Database as H8322-0001 Heritage Inventory.
The hotel ruins are recorded as ‘Argusvale’ on the Heritage Victoria Heritage Inventory. This appears to be a recording error when the site was initially reported in 1979.ANGUSVALE HOTEL - Interpretation of Site
See above for a detailed history of the site. In 1883 the site was developed as a hotel and shop providing lodging for travellers entering the area. The business expanded to include a post office in 1901. In 1899 the Hotel part of the premises burnt down and was not rebuilt. In 1979, during an archaeological survey by Pickering (1979:7), the site was recorded and registered. The current Victorian Heritage Database as H8322-0001 Heritage Inventory lists the site as the Argusvale Hotel, however this is likely to be a recording error during the digitisation of the original handwritten record. This site should be listed as the Angusvale Hotel. The current site use is as a campsite for travellers.
Heritage Inventory Description
ANGUSVALE HOTEL - Heritage Inventory Description
Numerous walls and floors. Large amounts of bottle glass along with crockery, a key, a file and pieces of iron in 50m x 50m area. Updated 28/03/2021 The Heritage Inventory records the hotel site as occurring approximately 170m WSW of building rubble observed during CHMP 17124 survey in 2020. No visible remains were noticeable at the recorded Heritage Inventory location and it is considered that the GPS co-ordinates provided in 1979 were inaccurate. The co-ordinates for the hotel remains observed in March 2020 are E531080.5 N5839431.1. During CHMP 17124 assessment an approximate 2,400m² buffer encompasses the visible remains of the hotel site. No CHMP assessment other than a pedestrian survey was undertaken within this buffer and the buffer spatial data has been provided to Parks Victoria. The visible hotel remains comprise what appears to be the remains of part of a stone floor, wall rubble, a large depression in the ground and possible footings. A small amount of glass and ceramic fragments and nails were visible in sections of the buffered off area during the survey but the large amount noted by Pickering in 1979. Ground disturbance is evident throughout and is associated with the use of the area for camping with building rubble used by campers to build fire pits. In the south – southeast section of the activity area close to the Mitchell River is evidence of goldmining activities (rock and rubble associated with possible water races).
-
-
-
-
-
ANGUSVALE HOTELVictorian Heritage Inventory
-
MITCHELL RIVER RUINSVictorian Heritage Inventory
-
-