The continuing story of Rachel Buckley who purchased the Junction Hotel in Dunolly.

The loved and unloved hotels

The focus on loved and unloved old hotels by the National Trust reminded me of my childhood dreams of restoring an old hotel. Strange for a ten year old child to have such plans, but I remember it vividly. At the end of our street was an old Hotel called “The Red Lion” at 39 Duke Street, Windsor. It was the most beautiful building my little girl’s eyes had ever seen. The magnificent old hotel needed love. In the late 1950’s it was a shirt factory, a boarding house and possibly even a house of ill repute for all I know. But to my mind it was Windsor Castle. I vowed that I would buy it when I grew up. I’d lie awake at night, hearing the clock bells from the Prahran Town Hall in the distance, whilst I planned the restoration of the hotel. In my child’s mind it could be fully restored in one day by the boy scouts on bob-a-job day. I was an optimistic child.

Our family lived in two Victorian Terrace houses at 5 and 7 Primrose Street, Windsor. The walls were knocked out to make it one family home. (We had a little lane for the night man, the ice man and the SP bookie! The milkman even gave me a ride in his horse driven cart - try telling the young ones about milk in bottles left on the front door stoop!)

What has happened to “The Red Lion”? I do hope it has been restored – from the outside it still looks as grand to me. What of my dreams of restoring it? As it turned out, I did get a chance to restore a property; a derelict Victorian Terrace house in Charles Street, Prahran. It took more than a bob- a- job boy scout. In the 1970’s it was far more difficult to get authentic materials.

I had forgotten all about my love affair with the Red Lion in Duke Street until all the passions were rekindled due to the National Trust heritage Steam to Surf weekend in April this year. In Creswick, I fell in love with the lovely but unloved British Hotel. I then saw the glorious ruins of the Greenock Park Hotel in a small town called Red Lion (there’s that Red Lion again!) and once more I started dreaming of restoring an old hotel. Now I have my own hotel at last - the former Junction Hotel in Burnt Creek, Dunolly. See, dreams do come true!

So this week is the big move to the hotel. The removalists started moving the furniture in and realised that the old irregular stairs make life rather difficult. Most of the furniture won’t fit. The stairs would never pass regulations for modern times. The rise and tread are very steep – they are an ordeal to climb. The wardrobe will have to be hauled up through the upstairs window. How on earth are we going to get the grand piano up there to the ballroom? Oh well. Let’s think of that tomorrow....

I‘ve been looking at various Bandstand Rotundas to get ideas – and I found the perfect one in Dunolly of all places. It is still my dream to build one. Better stick to the priorities for the nonce.

Now. I promised I’d give you a bit of information about Ann Wigham – the original owner of the hotel. My wonderful researcher, Ros has been delving into the births, deaths and marriages and newspaper records to find out tantalising bits of information.

Ros found out that Ann Wigham was born circa 1834 with the maiden name of Flannigan. Her husband William Wigham was born circa 1818 in Glasgow. He was a convict and transported to Tasmania for ten years for stealing a hanky, brandy and a waistcoat. William had dark hair and blue eyes and is recorded as being very short.

William and Ann married in 1854 and had four children. Mary Ann was born in 1856, William in 1857, James in 1861 and John in 1863 – the year the hotel was built. William senior died the same year aged 40. Ann was a young widow with four children, including a new baby, suddenly left to manage the large new hotel. It will be fascinating to do some more research on this story.

Ann Wigham spent years in debt and died 3rd October 1882. She is buried in Dunolly cemetery. Her son William died the following year in February 1883 and is also buried in Dunolly. Her daughter Mary Ann moved to Emerald Hill with her husband and had twelve children.

I am thrilled that Ros found all this information as it gives such life to the history of the hotel. Both William and Ann left wills and I look forward to looking them up. Ros wonders if Ann Flannigan herself may have been transported as a convict and met William Wigham in Tasmania. All will be revealed eventually.

I like Ann Wigham – I think she has pluck. She organized sporting events and hosted balls in the ball room for the local community. There were also several shops that are included on the titles of the property – these may have also been owned by Ann. There were shops all along the property going right up to Burnt Creek. I have found the bricks and evidence of the shops. What a wonderful archaeological dig to look forward to.

Do you remember the author Norah Lofts? She wrote “Bless this house” - a novel about the history of a big house over the generations. It inspired me as a child. I have that same feeling about The Junction Hotel. I can almost feel the presence of the Wighams ......

But first with the renovations -out with the lime wash and paint brush. Work first, and play with the history later.