On Sunday at about 2 o'clock in the day smoke was seen to issue from the premises at the back of Hopkins and Gates drapery store.

An alarm of fire was immediately raised. All was however futile, there was a stiff breeze blowing from the west.

Mr Schmidt ,the jeweller and watchmaker next door, with the help of others managed to save a portion of his stock and furniture. There was no one at Hopkins and Gates drapery store and very little could be saved.

Armstrong's Druggist shop was situated on the other side of Hopkins and Gates, and no sooner had the fire taken hold of Armstrong's than the flames leapt over the vacant space between that place and the Oriental Bank.

Mr Bell, manager of the Oriental Bank, with help rescued some of the bank's furniture but his personal furniture, clothing and linen etc. had to be abandoned.

Mr Benjamin's jewellery, fancy goods and tobacco warehouse had a considerable amount of goods saved but a lot of damage was sustained. The next was Mr Walker's saddlers shop and dwelling house from which a lot of stock and furniture was removed but a lot was also damaged.

The next to fall victim was Minters Criterion Hotel. Although he was a long way from the place where the conflagration originated its march was so rapid he was still left a heavy loser. The Masonic Lodge, a brick building with a bark roof, at the back of the Criterion Hotel was also destroyed.

The wind blowing from the west had slowed down the fires progress in that direction but it continued on its way and gradually consumed the Albion Hotel.

The stables at the far end of the yard were saved and Mr Cohen's spirit store on the opposite side of the lane was also saved.

The Albion Hotel had a number of shops in Burrowa Street ,to the right was a fruit shop and café. The café was the Hollywood and the proprietor was Theodore Theodoropoulos opened about 1956. T Theodore ,café, 1964. John Pappas manager in 1977. Peaches dress shop was here in April 1993. Barbers in the Albion building over time were Charlie Jacobs; A.J Wild; Joe Taylor; Patrick Quinlan; James Upton (his father was undertaker for Millards); Ollie Purshouse snr; Ollie Purshouse jnr; Joe Dirou (father worked for Cranfield); Jack Jones; Herb Phillips; Sid Spenser; Peter Spenser, barber 1949, hair dresser, enlarged by Spenser 1964 to contain sports store, Alf Gibbons was a barber in the Albion building in Main Street.

The building from the Albion to Oriental Bank was destroyed by fire 4/4/1875. Nader's jeweller shop built in Albion then came Les Forbes; and more recently Mr Ireland's La Décor, and then Judges Pharmacy and the ANZ Bank .

Joseph Schmidt's Jeweller and Watchmaker was next to burn in 1875 fire, the Bank of NSW was here after the 1875 fire. Hopkins and Gates burnt out in the 1875 fire, rebuilt by 1877, building by T Nader, fittings by Millards.

153-155 Burrowa street became Watson Bros drapery store. Then it became Whiteman's general store when purchased by GS Whiteman. Whiteman sold his business in 1906 to WF Weeden who had came to Young from Tumut. Millards bought it from Weeden and they made it into two shops.

Over the years there was many changes and these included; The Rural Bank; Keirs Vegetable shop; Les Forbes Furniture (1951); Joan Coopes Fashion; Peaches of Young; The Young Hot Bake (1993); Waymans' Jewellers; Helen West; La Décor Interiors; 151 RB Armstrong's Druggist's Shop (destroyed in 1875 fire). Barnett and Judge Dental surgeons; Judges Pharmacy; Tottenham Chemist; Fragrance Delight; next came the Oriental Bank with wooden walls and shingle roof and destroyed in the big fire.

New Oriental Bank built by Sharpe (contractor).

The Oriental Bank was liquidated in 1884, and became the Union Bank, then the ANZ Bank in 1951.

To be continued.