Welcome Home

The original Welcome Home was owned by Joseph Meldon[1] from 1865[2] (renewal of licence in 1866). In 1865 they were selling 28 ½ acre allotments on the Highfields Road “near the Joseph Meldon Hotel”, suggesting its close proximity to Toowoomba. It became an insolvent estate in about 1867, and when Mrs Joseph Meldon advertised for the sale of the licence, it was stated it was about one mile from Toowoomba.

At Carbalah (Five Mile Camp), the hotel appeared to start as a sly-grog shop at Bearkley’s house in 1867. A licence for the Welcome Home was bought from Mrs Joseph Melon in 1871 to A Bearkley. The publican's bush licence was used to sell spirits etc from 1871 (advertised as 12 miles from Toowoomba). A newspaper article states a renewal of Bearkley’s licence in 1878. Bearkley extended his land (por. 318, 319, 329 & 330) to became an orange orchard in 1879 (see section on businesses), so as you can see from the map on the right Bearkley's land was to the south of the old Farmer's Arms Hotel (now the shop and Cuckoo Clock shop). "Close by where the hotel then stood are now some very large Bunya trees, given to him by Mr. Primrose, then manager of Emu Creek Station—just fifty years ago." (DD Gazette, 7 March 1929, page 5)

A governor’s visit in 1879 was catered for by Bearkley in a marquee at the front of the hotel. 

In 1883, the licence (now a country publican licence) was then transferred “20 chains away” (400 metres) to the Railway Tavern Hotel (when the railway came to what is now known as Cabarlah). This new pub was located on the corner of the highway and Costello Rd. The photo on the right is of the "Long House" which was the original Welcome Home pub. The shop was pulled down in 1928.

Interestingly, in October 1866 there was another insolvency of Martin Meldon of the Railway Hotel on Highfields Road (leading to the railway camps) at “Stony Pinch” (trig station) which is now Mt Kynoch.

[1] From Kilbeggin Westmeath http://boards.ancestry.com.au/thread.aspx?mv=flat&m=65&p=localities.oceania.australia.qld.darlingdowns

[2] Qld Licencing index 1848-1900