For some time now I have been researching all the old hotels in and around Castlemaine.

Originally, the Castlemaine Licensing District covered a wide area. I gradually became aware of this fact after initially restricting my search to only those hotels which were actually within the town, borough - ultimately - city boundaries. Indeed, some of what we now accept as Castlemaine actually had names of other localities, eg: Campbells Creek, Barkers Creek, but boundaries were gradually extended and finally set in permanency.

The glory of the internet is the access we now have to all sorts of information. As more and more local newspapers are transcribed to TROVE, so local knowledge becomes more readily available. The Victorian Government Gazettes can be a great source of information and contain regular updates of those early days as to the issuing, transferring and re-issuing of hotel licenses.

So it was that I realised that the Castlemaine Licensing Court included towns such as Campbells Creek and Chewton (Forest Creek). Alright, I decided, I will extend my search to those places. Then Maldon's name came up and my records expanded as far as Tarrengower (as it was in the early days).

Fryerstown, Taradale, Tarilta, Harcourt, Newstead all made their appearance in these government reports and so did my area of investigation and recording keep expanding. Eventually, a lot of these other towns gained their own licensing courts or were moved in with other areas, but I was hooked and had to follow their progress.

I don't claim my records are perfect or in anyway complete. I have many, many unanswered questions. Hotels back then (from early 1850s) popped up, flourished briefly then faded much like those flowers that bloom for one day each year.

And their locations are now forgotten or else clouded with uncertainty for I have also learnt along the way that memory is a fleeting thing and stories become distorted with passing time and countless retelling and refurbishing. Any hotels which fell by the way yet laid claim to being substantial were quickly demolished and carted away to be used elsewhere, the previous site might well have held many subsequent buildings on them and no further trace remains.

Again, I have been lucky that photographs have also found their way onto the internet and Google gets a good work-out from me.

I came upon this website by googling "Oddfellows Hotel, Campbells Creek" and found a blog covering Campbells Creek which led me to here. Now, I have to find that original gentleman, who I believe is down on the Mornington Peninsula, so I can post a reply on his blog.