And in the east a star appeared. 3 wise men followed it until it came to rest over the place where the Christ child was laid. They brought gifts for the child such as gold, frankincense and myrrh. It was this child that was to become the King of the Jews and Saviour of all. But now onto another star! Built in 1875, the Star Hotel is the oldest surviving wooden building in the city of Traralgon. It was situated on the eastern side of the Traralgon creek, on a triangular piece of crown Land, bordered by Peterkin and Munro streets and the (then) Rosedale Road (later known as Bridge St., then George St.).
Above: The STAR Hotel 2000
Frank George Hickox purchased this land for the sum of £12.10.0d. and he built a six-roomed building which he named The Star Hotel. A licence to sell liquor was granted on 24th June, 1875, to Hickox by the Rosedale Licensing court. The Star was constructed of timber cut from trees in its surroundings, using straight saplings for wall studs. It was lined with timber boards which were split by hand, using an axe, and were secured with hand-forged nails, beneath a sapling and shingle roof.
In 1876, Hickox sold the Star Hotel to Edwin Kaye, who arrived in Traralgon via the Walhalla goldfields. Kaye operated the Star Hotel until 1882 when the construction of a new bridge on the Rosedale Road across the Traralgon creek meant that the Star was no longer situated beside Traralgon's main thoroughfare. Edwin Kaye closed the doors of the original Star Hotel and transferred the name and. licence to new premises located in Argyle Street, on 22nd December, 1882.
Angus Cameron took possession of the Star Hotel in February 1884 and Mary Cameron (Angus' wife) obtained the Title in 1887. Mrs. Cameron ran a boarding-house at the premises and the building took on the new name of "Long Bridge House". During Mrs. Cameron's occupancy, the house underwent major renovations - the gabled extension was added and the original hessian ceilings were replaced with Baltic pine (tongue & groove) or pressed metal. Other alterations to the original building were the erection of 2 brick chimneys, verandahs and iron roofing. Mrs. Cameron owned the property until her death in 1923.
(The STAR Hotel before re-siting. Photo Alan Wilson)
"The Star" remained vacant until 1926 when it was purchased by Charles O'Mara, a farmer from Glengarry, who rented it out to tenants.
The building was sold in 1946 to Mrs. Evelyn Simmons and it was once again renovated during her ownership. The hessian and wallpaper wallcoverings were removed and replaced with masonite or plaster. Mrs. Simmons died in 1972, leaving the original Star Hotel to her 2 granddaughters. It was through the generosity of the Swiety family that the Star Hotel was donated to the people of Traralgon under the guardianship of the Traralgon & District Historical Society, in the centenary year of the building, 1975.
Today it stands only metres away from its original site, restored, as a testimony to the initiative and endurance of the early settlers.
The Star Hotel now offers an insight into a part of Gippsland's cultural heritage.
I would have liked to hide a larger cache here but I could not find a good spot. The Star hotel is open on the weekends and is now a cafe and local craft place so be carefull on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. While you are there you might like to sample the delights. The current operators of the Star Hotel are aware of the cache and its hiding spot. I went there the otherday and enquired if they did and they asked me if I had found it yet? I informed them that I hid it there. They are now wiser about our game.