The Bush Inn, Tasmania facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bush Inn |
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The Bush Inn in 2016
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| General information | |
| Location | 49-51 Montagu Street New Norfolk Tasmania, Australia |
| Coordinates | 42°46′41″S 147°04′04″E / 42.777984°S 147.067672°E |
| Construction started | c.1815 |
| Client | Ann Bridger |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | D. W. Bush |
| Place ID: | 1261 |
| Status: | Permanently Registered |
The Bush Inn is a very old and famous hotel located in New Norfolk, Tasmania, Australia. It's in the beautiful Derwent Valley area. Many people believe it is the oldest hotel in Australia that has been open without stopping since it first started.
This special building is listed on the Tasmanian Heritage Register and the Australian Heritage Database. This means it's an important part of Australia's history and is protected.
Contents
The Bush Inn's Story
The story of the Bush Inn is closely connected to how the Derwent Valley area grew. This region is one of the oldest farming areas in Australia. New Norfolk started to be settled in 1808 when people from the Norfolk Island prison were moved there.
A lady named Mrs. Ann Bridger, who had lived on Norfolk Island, was given land for the hotel in the early 1810s. The very first road in the colony was built in 1819, and it went right past Mrs. Bridger's land.
Some records say the building has been a hotel since 1815. However, it's more likely it started around 1825. In April 1825, a newspaper in Hobart wrote that "a widow lady named Bridger has just completed a very comfortable two-storey house of public entertainment." This means she had finished building a nice hotel. In October of that same year, Ann Bridger received permission to run her hotel, which was called the Bush Inn.
A Song and a Famous Singer
A famous Irish composer named William Vincent Wallace lived at the Bush Inn in 1838. While he was there, he wrote parts of his famous opera, Maritana. He even composed some of the music on the hotel's porch!
Years later, in 1924, the world-famous singer Dame Nellie Melba stayed at the hotel. She sang songs from Maritana during her visit to Tasmania.
Something very special happened on June 20, 1932. The opera Maritana was performed right at the Bush Inn! A company from Hobart put on the show. It was amazing because the opera was performed in the very place where some of its music was created. The performance was even broadcast on the radio station 7ZL.
Making History with Phones
The Bush Inn also played a part in telephone history! The very first long-distance phone call in Australia was made to the hotel. This happened on December 1, 1888, from the Hobart General Post Office.
Later, in 1939, the first phone call from Australia to London was also made to the Bush Inn. It's pretty cool that this old hotel was part of such important communication milestones!
Inside and Out: The Bush Inn's Design
The Bush Inn was first built in the beautiful Georgian style. Over the years, some changes have been made to the building.
Below the hotel, there's a big wooden door. This door once led to a wine cellar and a place where meat was prepared. You could go down stone steps to reach them.
There's also a story about a secret tunnel. People say this tunnel was used to quietly move patients from the Derwent River to the Royal Derwent Hospital. This way, they could avoid being seen on the public streets.
The hotel's garden once had a pear tree. People believed that Lady Jane Franklin, the wife of a former governor, planted this tree in 1837.
