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1885 The (original) Commercial Hotel is built on the east side of Adams Street, Wentworth. The licensees have been Michael Hogan 1 year, John Leary for 25 years, E.J. Sykes and family for more than 40 years.
Timelines of Wentworth shire (Peter Thomson 2007)
A Wentworth resident wrote:
When I was eleven years of age I watched the Commercial Hotel and Rendlesham House being built. The hotel was built by Mr John Leary. My father, Jerry Haynes, carted the sand from over near the old gaol for a Mr Galfield who was the contractor.
(An Autobiography by 91 year old Sarah Pannan nee Haynes, South Western Standard, Vol. 7, No.318.)
In Des Sykes’ childhood days, the Commercial was run by John Leary … one of the great characters… EJ Brady’s book, the ‘River Rovers’, featured a trip to Wentworth and Brady met up with John Leary, a bachelor Irishman, a philosopher.
Leary was so long at the Commercial Hotel, Wentworth - and so well liked - that a poem was written about him.
Leary was a great friend of the Wilkes family, and he was very fond of dad and mum (EJ and Selina Sykes), and (in 1911) he practically gave them the Commercial Hotel, estimated to be about six and half thousand pounds. They had to pay him £1000 over ten years - without interest. They were both ambitious.
It was, says Des, an opportunity to get some progress financially, unlike school teaching in the bush.
EJ rebuilt the Commercial hotel in 1925. |
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LEARY
By E.W. Brady
He was selling drink was Leary,
From the land of Tiperary,
Where the little Shamrock's leaves unfold.
He was selling drink was Leary,
To the wandering west and weary,
But he seldom touched the poison that he sold.
And the western fellows knew him,
And they mostly travelled to him
When they went upon the spree.
You could bet this much on Leary
From the land of Tiperary,
That his grog would safe and honest be.
If in course you got a head on,
He would never set you dead on;
He would simply try to put you out.
If you got as broke as blazes,
He would curse you in loud phrases,
Give you honest good advice - and shout. If you ever met with Leary,
From the land of Tiperary,
Where the little emerald shamrock roots,
You will know beneath his jacket,
Where there's room enough to pack it
That his heart is even bigger than his boots.
(Federal Standard, April 18, 1908.) |
The Federal Standard, Wentworth, March 11, 1899 |
John Leary owned the old Commercial hotel for 25 years |
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