Summary

Ceramic plate from the Newmarket Hotel, located on Racecourse Road, directly opposite the Newmarket Saleyards. This plate was manufactured in England; it was imported by Loftus Moran (Melbourne) between1900 to1958.

The Newmarket Hotel was one of the earliest hotels of the area and dates from the 1850s. Typical of 'pubs' that sprang up during the Victorian gold-rush building boom of the mid 1850s, the Newmarket was built to service the quickly growing Newmarket area. Once known as Godby's and sold to Dalgety & Co in the 1880s, the Newmarket Hotel welcomed drovers, yardmen, transporters, auctioneers, clerks, cockies and their sons who all took respite from the cold or quenched their thirst in the parched summer months. Saleyard workers tell stories of the essential role the Newmarket played as an enduring provider of drink, food, entertainment, accommodation and illegal betting; as a welcoming venue to stay warm, keep cool, meet with friends, or conduct business.

Physical Description

White ceramic plate with green border and interlocking initials.

Significance

This item was used at the Newmarket Hotel, which was directly opposite the Newmarket Saleyards. It is relevant that the hotel is featured on the detailed site plans of the saleyards and indicates the importance of this hotel, and other local pubs, in sustaining the workers and visitors to Newmarket between the long hours of work. It is an important reminder of the social, cultural and work life of those who worked at the Newmarket Saleyards.

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