Waukaringa Hotel

Entering the Flinders Ranges from the Broken Hill to Peterborough road, turn off at Yunta on the Arkaroola road. On your travels along this road at approximately 35kms you pass through the deserted town of Waukaringa.

Waukaringa township was proclaimed on 1st November 1888 driven by the goldfield. The census in March 1889 records that 475 people were living in the town and area.

The first gold bearing Waukaringa Reef was discovered by a shepherd by the name of James Watson in early 1873.

The Hotel is the large ruins situated on the right of the road going north towards Arkaroola.

The hotel location was Main street.

My Grandmother Gertrude Learhinan and she first purchased this hotel on 24th Feb 1930 and held it until 22nd July 1947, during this time she did sell it but had to take it back after 2 months.  After Gertrude had the hotel her son George Teague operated the hotel from 23rd July 1947 to 5th July 1950.

Information about the owners of this hotel have come from the book “HOTELS AND PUBLICANS IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA 1836-1984 By J L Bob Hoad” this is an excellent book for anyone wanting information on South Australian hotels. This book is out of print but is available through the library.

The hotel existed from ? – 1889 to 1964.

It is not known when the hotel first started, on Australian National Library web site searching TROVE I found this advertisement,

Friends and the Public generally, having
BOUGHT all the WAUK ARINGA MINE and
BUILDINGS, can give any Visitors to the
Reefs a Good Spread and Shake-Down, having
renewed the licence of the Waukaringa Hotel.
First-class Wines, Spirits, &c, &c.

1889 – 1893 Tucker, W.

1894 – 1896 it may have not been trading

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2010 Waukaringa

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A town plan from the recollections of M Teague.