Commercial Hotel
The first hotel on this site was a single-storey weatherboard building, known as the Carrington Hotel, with William O’Brien as licensee. The property included extensive stables at the rear, for servicing passing Cobb & Co coaches.
In 1909, the hotel and grounds were sold by Fred West to local businessman, Thomas Ellwood. As an indication of his confidence in the thriving village, Ellwood rebuilt the hotel as a two-storey brick building, opening as the Commercial Hotel in July 1911.
The new hotel featured 12 feet wide verandahs, 23 bedrooms, 2 dining rooms, guest lounge, kitchen and bathrooms.
Ellwood extended the building in 1912, adding a billiards room and 2 shops on the ground floor and more bedrooms on the first floor.
The hotel was renovated in 1940 to modernise the facilities and keep the hotel up to date. Further alterations were done in the 1960s, when the wide verandahs were removed from the building and the doorways changed to windows.
The Commercial Hotel remained in the Ellwood family until 1971.
A fire in 1982 destroyed the main bar, causing the hotel to close for repairs. The hotel has changed ownership and licensees over the years and has ceased trading for some years.
