Mary Street Gympie

Within weeks of the Gympie Gold Rush of October 1867, many hotels were set up and opened their doors to thousands of gold miners to socialise, drink and eat.

The Tattersalls Hotel was one of the first hotel businesses built in 1868, only six months after the town of Gympie – then still known as Nashville – was settled. In those early days, the Tattersalls was a stopover for mail coaches, so that miners would come to collect their mail and have a drink. In 1868 another historic hotel, the Golden Age, first opened its doors.

The Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay and Burnett Advertiser of 4 April 1868 reports that James Nash met his wife Katherine Murphy at her family’s hotel, the Traveller’s Rest in central Mary Street. Local research suggests that in the 152-year history of Gympie over 170 hotel licences have been granted, with the first round of applications granted in December 1867.