A photograph of the Fleming's Family Hotel in Main St, Drouin c1897.
David Fleming took over the old Sutcliffe Family Hotel in 1890. He had previously been proprietor of the Commercial Hotel in Longwarry.
Shortly after taking over, David built a brick section next to the old timber building.
The hotel had 22 rooms, 13 of which were bedrooms, as well as a large dining room and parlour.
They were also farmers and had five acres of oat crops and 20 acres for grazing purposes.
While David Fleming's name was on the licence, it seems his wife Honora was the person running and maintaining the hotel.
A "Weekly Times" supplement from 1897 described her as "an altogether businesswoman who is well-known to the folks of Drouin".
"The hotel is a handsome two-storey brick building directly facing the railway station," the supplement added. "Mrs Fleming has kept the hotel for the last seven years".
David died in December 1895, leaving a few bequests to family and the Catholic Church, but the rest to his wife Honora.
On his death, the licence was transferred to his executor David Carroll who was the owner of the Shamrock Hotel in Melbourne.
Honora continued to run the business and in 1898 married Michael Obrien. The licence was then transferred to his name.
It was not unusual at this time for everything to be in the male's name. If a woman was married, she would be referred to as Mrs (husband's name), unless she was widowed.
Honora and Michael continued to run the business until October 1907 when they sold it to E.J Hayes.
Photograph and information courtesy of Drouin History Group.
Visit drouinhistorygroup.org.au to find out more about the group and its activities.