Some came from other gold fields in the colonies, while others came from America and various parts of Europe, some even came from Asia, mainly from China.

Victor Frank built and opened the Criterion Hotel in 1861.

A dance hall and concert room was included and on opening night a free concert was provided.

William Booth purchased the hotel from Frank and with others initiated the Lodge Burrangong St. John.

Their early meetings were held in a large barn at the rear of the hotel.

Harry Minter took over from Booth and it was during his time that the big fire of April 1875 destroyed a lot of Burrawa Street.

On the north east corner of Burrawa and Main Streets a small slab and bark cottage was being used as a Post Office from March 1861 until the first official Postmaster was appointed and moved it to another building near by.

The first weatherboard Albion Hotel was built on this site by J. Hawkins Burchardt  in early 1862 and fronted Burrawa  Street.

Burchardt leased out the dining and supper rooms and the vacant land at the rear accessed via Main Street was used by travelling circus for their tent shows.

By the 1870’s Abraham Cohen  had taken over the Hotel.

The all wooden building was totally destroyed by the big fire of 1875, all that was saved was the stables on the end of the block in Main Street.

The new two storied brick building was completed in August 1876 and remained in use until it was demolished to make way for a supermarket.

Further up the street John Allan built his hotel which he named the ‘Great Eastern Hotel’  after the large ship of that name.

Allan had came from Norfolk in England to NSW in 1853 and was a builder by trade living at Yass.

In 1860 he had a license for the Carpenter’s Arms at Burrowa and later that year he had a store at Spring Creek.

The Great Eastern was erected quickly and had a large building beside it which was going to be used as a dance hall, but was leased to Mr. Godfrey of Yass for a store.

Burrowa Street at this time had not been cleared of timber or a proper carriage way formed.

Dick Deeley, a successful miner, purchased a block on the corner of Lynch and Burrowa street where he built a slab and bark structure which he called the Limerick Arms.

William Conquest Turland, who came from Leicestershire in England to Victoria in 1851, purchased  the Limerick Arms and  changed the name to the Prince of Wales.

He weatherboarded the premises and covered the roof with galvanised iron, he also planted shade trees. In the 1870’s he changed the name to the Royal.

By 1895 the building had been bricked and many other improvements made.

The Royal was demolished in 1988 and was replaced by the Mill Tavern, a Hotel and shopping block.

Brian James