Old Canberra Inn facts for kids
The Old Canberra Inn is one of the oldest pubs in the Canberra area of Australia. This special building was built even before Canberra became a city! You can find it today in a suburb called Lyneham.
The first part of the building was a simple slab hut, built in 1857 by Joseph Schumack. Later, in 1876, it became a licensed inn, which is like a hotel and restaurant. It was a popular stop for coaches traveling between Yass and Queanbeyan. In 1887, the inn was sold to the Read family. They lived there for many years and called it The Pines. In 1974, it was renovated and opened again as the Old Canberra Inn.
Today, the Old Canberra Inn is famous for its craft beers. It has 10 beer taps that only serve special beers from independent Australian breweries.
Contents
The Shumack Family and the Inn's Beginning
Joseph Shumack (1836–1901) built the original "Old Canberra Inn" in 1857. He was born in Ireland in 1836. Joseph moved to Australia with his parents in 1841 when he was just five years old. His family, the Shumacks, helped a lot in the early days of Canberra. A famous cousin of Joseph's was Samuel Shumack.
In 1842, Joseph's father got a farm near the Molonglo River. Joseph lived there with his family. When his father passed away in 1849, Joseph was 13. His mother continued farming, and later remarried in 1854.
In 1856, Joseph received his own 100-acre piece of land. This land is where the "Old Canberra Inn" stands today. He built a house and started farming. He also owned another 100-acre lot nearby. In 1877, someone traveling through described Joseph's farm. They said he had 200 acres around the hotel. Fifty acres were used to grow wheat and oats.
In 1865, Joseph married Bridget Mary Ward (1836-1914). She was from County Cork, Ireland. Joseph and Bridget had four children together.
From Farmhouse to Coach Stop
In the late 1850s, many new coach services started running. They went through Yass and Ginninderra to Queanbeyan and Braidwood. Joseph's house was perfectly located next to the main road. So, in 1876, he decided to turn his home into the "Canberra Inn." He got a special license to sell drinks.
The Inn became a regular stop for the mail coach. It also served coaches going to the Araluen Goldfields. In 1887, Joseph decided to sell his property. He put an advertisement in the newspapers. The ad described the Old Canberra Inn as having 202 acres of land. The house had seven rooms, plus three separate rooms. There were also two storerooms, a kitchen, and two stables for horses. The land was described as excellent for farming. It was divided into five fenced areas with good grass and water.
Joseph's nephew, John Read, bought the house.
The Read Family and "The Pines"
John Read (1868–1917) bought the Old Canberra Inn in 1887. He changed it back into a family home and named it "The Pines." The Read family lived there for almost 90 years. John Read was born in 1868 in Canberra. His father, Hugh Read, worked for Joseph Shumack. In 1862, Hugh married Joseph's sister, Eliza Shumack. They had ten children and lived on a farm called "Wattle Grove."
In 1895, John Read married Ellen Maloney (1871–1962). Ellen's father owned land very close to the Old Canberra Inn.
Life at "The Pines"
John and Ellen had six children. A photo from 1910 shows three of them: Eileen, Jack, and Harry, standing outside "The Pines." The Read family continued to farm the land. In 1898, John even won a prize for his oat crop at an agricultural show. He was a well-known sheep and wheat farmer.
John passed away in 1917. His wife, Ellen, continued to live at "The Pines" for the rest of her life. She passed away in 1962 at 90 years old. Her sons, Robert and Thomas, lived with her and farmed the land together. Ellen was also one of the first female photographers in the area. Many of her old glass negative photos are kept at the National Library of Australia. Jack Read, shown in the photo, later built Strathnairn Homestead in 1924.
After Ellen died, her sons Robert and Thomas kept farming "The Pines." Robert died in 1966, and Thomas died in 1973. In 1974, the government bought the property. They decided to fix it up and turn it back into an inn, which is how it became the Old Canberra Inn we know today!
See also
- List of oldest companies in Australia
