A photograph of the King Parrot Hotel on Main South Rd, Drouin c1902 to 1906.
The original King Parrot Hotel was built by William Dempsey around 1876. The slab and shingle hotel was 28 feet square (8.5 metres), lined with hessian and paper, and had six rooms.
It was erected in the south corner of Dempsey's 320 acres on CA 87 on Main South Road, close to the King Parrot Creek. The land was later divided, with the hotel on the 50-acre portion which had the creek running through.
Dempsey was the builder of a number of schools in the district; Buln Buln, Lardners Track, Drouin Junction, Jindivick and King Parrot Creek (Drouin South) being a few.
He owned the hotel until 1885, although it had been put up for sale in 1883.
The hotel burnt down in 1894, with publican Michael Lynch, along with his wife Bridgett and family, barely escaping.
The hotel was rebuilt and the bar run from a house next door. The new hotel had 13 rooms and was weatherboard.
Unfortunately, the hotel again burnt down on Christmas Day 1901. It was again rebuilt and had another 16 licensees before the license was surrendered on June 13, 1930. This came about after another fire destroyed the building in April of that year.
Photograph and information courtesy of the Drouin History Group.
For further information, visit drouinhistory.org.au.