Goldfields Getaway
13 June, 2024
Historic hotel a haven for travellers
Taking pride of place in the main street of Bealiba is the historic Evans Hotel. Built by George Evans in 1857, the hotel has been a welcome watering hole and rest stop for a variety of travellers for more than 160 years. As the town grew, Evans was...
Taking pride of place in the main street of Bealiba is the historic Evans Hotel. Built by George Evans in 1857, the hotel has been a welcome watering hole and rest stop for a variety of travellers for more than 160 years. As the town grew, Evans was awarded a contract with Cobb and Co, and stables and accommodation rooms were added.
Closed since 2016, new owners John Maher and Jonine (Jojo) Naughton are in the process of restoring the business to its former glory as a hub for visitors and locals alike.
The first major work was to get the B&B rooms ready for guests. John and Jojo have retained the authenticity of country pub accommodation while offering contemporary comfort.
“We have modernised them a little bit to make them comfortable without ‘yuppifying’ them too much,” Jojo said.
“We have lovely antique furniture in the rooms and new fully renovated bathrooms for the guests – they are shared bathrooms in the old-style. We’ve also put in washing machines and dryers and have had electrical work done to bring the wiring up to scratch.”
The couple share a vision to run the hotel as a B&B offering cooked breakfasts and dinners, as well as opening the front pub area as a licensed bistro/café where people can stop for a coffee and snack or enjoy a wine or beer with a home-made pizza.
Part of the joy of renovating a building with such a long history has been unearthing treasures hidden long ago. One mystery that is yet to reveal itself is the ‘second cellar’ older locals insist exists.
“A resident in his 80s told me that when he was about five-years-old they used to jump on the cellar door then run and jump on the second door out on the footpath,” John said.
“Where he says the second door was would mean the cellar is directly under our private loungeroom. Back in the old days a lot of the cellars were used as temporary morgues because they were the coldest places, so it might have been closed in.”
While it is hard to escape tales of the past, it is clear the hotel is about to enter a new chapter. John and Jojo have already welcomed groups of guests attending nearby weddings or birthday parties, and they hope new generations will have their own tales to tell of the time they spent at Evans Hotel.
