More about the early Hotels of Young – The Diggers Arms
The Diggers Arms Hotel in Main Street ,Lambing Flat, is probably the first hotel built on the Burrangong Gold Fields.
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There would have been rough bark huts which served as shanties to supply alcohol to the early miners and farm hands but the Diggers Arms would have to be given the title of ‘ first on the field’.
John Vicq married Honora Lehane at Reedy creek, Coppabella, and the couple immediately went to Lambing Flat where Vicq was running the Diggers Arms Hotel on the Main Creek at the southern end of Main Street.
The Diggers Arms was built by Lazarus Cohen, of Goulburn, who was also running store.
John immediately began building a larger hotel, which he called the Empire.
This hotel was owned and financed by Jeremiah Lehane, John Vicq’s father-in-law.
On Tuesday 5th March 1861 at a special licencing court Vicq transferred his Diggers Arms licence to Barnett Phillips and obtained a licence for the Empire.
Lazarus Cohen still owned the Diggers Arms building.
The Empire opened in April 1861 and a grand ball on a splendid scale was held to celebrate the opening.
The hotel’s ball room was a prime attraction and was open every evening for dancing. John Vicq placed large advertisements in the Miner under a coat of Arms inscribed “Advance Australia”.
Another grand ball was held shortly afterwards to coincide with a race meeting.
John Henry Vicq was the licensee of the Empire when the infamous Lambing Flat Riots were taking place.
After the rioting diggers had finished assaulting the Chinese and destroying their property they gathered opposite the Empire where their leaders made inflammatory speeches.
Charles Quail bought the Empire from Jerry Lehane and on the 3rd December 1861 Vicq transferred the licence to Quail.
In July 1862 Quail changed the name to the Royal to avoid confusion with Michael Shmith’s Empire Hotel at the northern end of Main Street.
This hotel had opened in September 1861 with William Saunders as licensee. John and Honora Vicq left the Empire and Lambing Flat in December 1861 and settled at Bogolong, now known as Bookham.
They ran a hotel for a few years until John was appointed the towns first postmaster in 1864. John also ran a general store as well as the Post Office and was involved in various mining ventures.
He discovered a lead and silver deposit at Milora, he dug for gold at the Muttama Reef and was involved in a copper lease at Binalong.
He ran his store and post office until he retired in 1889. John died in 1895 and is buried at Bookham.
In February 1881 at about half past one in the morning a fire broke out in the kitchen of Roley’s Empire Hotel and the wooden premises and stables were completely destroyed. In the coach shed were three of Cobb and Co.’ coaches, only one was saved. The fire brigade could do nothing but save the nearby stables of the Commercial Hotel.
