Craig’s Royal Hotel on Lydiard Street in Ballarat is a legendary Australian gold-rush era hotel. It was built in 1862 on the site of Bath’s Hotel, the town’s first officially licensed pub. Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, stayed in one of its ornate rooms, and Dame Nellie Melba once sang from its balcony. Prime ministers have been guests, as well as many Aussie dignitaries. In 1855 the Royal Commission into the Eureka Stockade considered its findings at Craig’s.
It’s a building with many interesting literary connections. Australian poet Adam Lindsay Gordon entered into an arrangement with the hotel in 1867 to run the stables there (there was stabling for 40 horses). Sadly, the livery stables burned down and his young daughter died, so his time there was not happy. In December 1891 novelist Anthony Trollope stayed at Craig’s. He was very impressed by Ballarat, finding it well-ordered and well-endowed with public facilities. He devoted a whole chapter of his travel book, Australia and New Zealand, to the town of Ballarat. Mark Twain stayed at Craig’s on his 1895 lecture tour around Australia. He called the hotel “the pride of Ballarat”. The hotel also featured in The Doctor Blake Mysteries and My Brother Jack.
I have stayed at Craig’s with a tour group. The place is something of a rabbit-warren and the board displaying the names of famous people who have stayed there shamefully fails to include Trollope, but it’s an historic building with old-world charm.
Have you ever stayed in this hotel? Tell me your experience by leaving a comment here.
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Suzanne Williamsx
William and Ihave had a drink atCraigsv….his father and William used to go there quite abit.when William was up from uni and his father was practing as doctor and surgeon in Ballard so many memories.I AGREE with your sentiment re the omission of Trollope’s name…he of the finest writer’s in the English language.,
Susannah Fullerton
That’s interesting that William knows the place well.