Note por. 525, 526, and 527 is on Costello Road. There is an old shed on por. 525 which may be the remains of a Butcher. The original steel-cased thumper bore is on portion 527
A statement from the Tall Timbers book (ref) states in 1860 Heinrich Schmidt had a title of 4 hectares (produce store and licence to serve liquor). I can find no evidence of this. A Heinrich Schmidt did own a licence, but this was issued in Rockhampton. No evidence of a Schmidt in the district at all. There was a Railway Tavern at Stony Creek (Railway Camp) owned by Martin 'Meldrum' (or Meldon). He had applied for a licence in March 1865 and was trading by August 1866/77[1] but became insolvent, and Joseph Hoey applied for the licence for the hotel (DDG April 1867).
The Railway Tavern Hotel (later called the Railway Hotel) in Cabarlah was on the corner of the main road and Costello Road (por. 525) diagonally opposite the current Farmers Arms. It was on 13 acres of land. It is unsure whether this was a new residence built as a hotel or an existing house.
The licence for the Railway Hotel was transferred from the Welcome Home on 26 April 1883. Note it states the house and appurtenances belonging, situated at the Highfields railway station (i.e. Cabarlah) from the Welcome Home Hotel Highfields (20 chains away). There is a note on 9 July 1883 that a group of people travelled by train to the "Highfields" station, 2 months before the official opening, and noted the newly built Bearkely's Hotel.
In 1886 Archie Bearkley with A M Fairley paid the rates (so were owners or leasees of land) on portions 525, 526 and 527 along Costello Road. Portions 525, 526 and 527 would be big enough for a hotel, shops and a butcher. The original steel-cased thumper bore is on portion 527 (on 82 Costello Road, the third house from the right) and could have been set up to provide water to Bearkley’s Hotel and the other shops.
Owners of the Railway included Mr W.J. Perry (sometimes the pub was called Perry’s; an article in 1889 & 1891 suggests there was a Mr WJ Perry of the Railway Hotel Cabarlah) and Gould (sometimes called Gould’s although it is not clear whether Gould was owner or Licensee);
It was destroyed by fire in 1904.
Following are licensees and or owners.
[1860 Heinrich Schmidt title of 4 hectares of land (produce store and licence to serve liquor) (Cannot find evidence of this as yet). There is a record of a Heinrich Schmidt in the Licencee records of 1843 -1900 based in Rockhampton only]
1883 Licence from Welcome Home to Railway Tavern (Bearkley)
1883 Joseph Gould licence (owned by Bearkley) (an ad for land by Bearkley in 1883 named the “Gould Hotel”[2];
1884 Thomas Fallon applied for the licence (DD Gazette)11 June 1884
1884-1888 Alexander Mein Fairley (had licence; called the Railway Tavern Hotel) bought from Bearkley for £80
1888- 1891 W Perry (WJ Perry becomes insolvent (TC & DD G 21 Mar 1891 - notice in DD Gazette 5 Dec 1891 on left)1892 for sale (13 acres inc building, furniture and land for £512)
1892 WH Clarke
1893 T Holes (PO records) [not licencee]
1896/7 WH Clarke
1896/7 Richard Barns
1897/1900 Sarah O’Connor
1900 – not sure which hotel but perhaps E Sharp bought the property (for sale 1 Aug 1900 for £275)[3]
1901/2 Mr George Callaghan
1902/3 David Lewis
1903/4 Robert Peter Grant & David Lewis
1904 Lovejoy owner (leased to Robert Grant) destroyed by fire
[1] 1843-1900 Qld Licensing Index
[2] Joseph Gould was accidentally killed 6 May 1886 (aged 50)
[3] Not sure of this as there was another add for the sale on 8 Dec to E Sharp (acc of mortagees) for 3 acres 24 perches with hotel buildings at Cabarlah.
Note: On 7 August 1862, Martin Meldon took up 53 hectares (130 acres) of land (por 403) extending back to where Downlands College now stands (On Deed of Grant information, land area is given as 43 acres (17 ha) and 3 roods (33,000 sq ft; 3,000 m2)). On 18 December 1869, it was purchased by Frances Thomas Gregory (on an early map it has por 101 (40 acres) to the east of Meldon's land owned by FT Gregory). This is where Harlaxton House now stands.