In 1869 Thomas Adam purchased from the government 54 acres of land south of the road running between New Lambton and Merewether. He soon resold the land to Thomas and Henry Bryant, who in 1870 submitted a plan for a 190-lot subdivision named “Adamstown”, including streets named “Thomas”, “Henry” and “Bryant”.
Matching the usual pattern of emerging mining communities, one of the first blocks of land sold was for a hotel. In June 1874 Edward Reay purchased the north-west corner of Union Street (Brunker Road today) and Victoria Street. In September 1874, 150 years ago this month, Reay obtained a publican’s licence and opened the “Adamstown Hotel”. Just two months later Adamstown’s second hotel opened across the road, and in 1902 the town reached its peak of four hotels, a notably abstemious total compared to neighbouring suburbs.
In 1905 when John Court was the licensee, Tooheys Limited bought the hotel. They demolished the original building and erected in its place a modern brick structure at a cost of £2200. After the hotel re-opened in November 1906, the Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners’ Advocate noted that “the design of the hotel is entirely different to the usual run of these buildings, there being no colonnade or balcony over the footpath, but in place of them there are large verandah and balcony arcades in the central part of the main front.” Ralph Snowball photographed the crisp new building one week after its formal re-opening. However, this second incarnation of the hotel did not last long. In 1927 increased motor traffic necessitated widening of the main road. All the properties on the west side of Union Street including the Adamstown Hotel, had eighteen feet shaved off their front, and required major renovations and rebuilding. Two more alterations were to affect the hotel. In 1947 its address ‘changed’ when Union Street was renamed Brunker Road, and then in the 1980s the pub’s name changed to the “Nags Head Hotel”.
The article above was first published in the September 2024 edition of The Local.
Additional Information
The original building
The 1906 Building
The new Adamstown Hotel, erected for Toohey’s, Limited, contains 20 large rooms, bar, parlours, dining, billiard, lodge, and bed rooms, cellar, bathrooms, etc., providing every convenience necessary for the working of a modern hotel. The buildings throughout are of brick on concrete foundations, and no wood partitions are used in any part. All the public, rooms are on the ground floor, from which a bold and handsome stairs leads to the upper, floor, on which the bedrooms, parlour, lodge, and bath rooms are placed. Separate access is given to each room from corridors or passages. The ceilings and cornices of ground-floor rooms are of stamped steel from the Wunderlich Co. The design of the hotel is entirely different to the usual run of these buildings, there being no colonnade or balcony over the footpath, but in place of them there are large verandah and balcony arcades in the central part of the main front to Victoria-street. The building, being on a corner block, at the intersection of Union-street and Victoria-street, has two fronts. the design for which has been well thought out architecturally, and it has, with its bands, tuck-pointed front, bold block cornices, pediments, finials, and central arcade treatment an imposing effect. Mr. Thomas W. Silk, of Bolton-street, Newcastle, was the architect, and Mr. B. G. Pearce, of Hamilton, the builder.
Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners’ Advocate, 1 December 1906.
The Nags Head Hotel
I have not been able to find concrete evidence of exactly when the hotel’s name changed to The Nags Head. It was still called the Adamstown Hotel in 1977. Page 8 of Ed Tonks’ book “No Bar To Time” says that “reportedly the name change to Nags Head occurred during 1989.”
Licensees of the Adamstown Hotel
- Edward Reay – 1874 to 1884
- James Taafe/Taffe/Taffee (1885 to July 1889)
- John Reay/Rae (July 1889 to Oct 1890)
- Richard Simmons/Simmonds (August 1891 to August 1894)
- Edward Reay (August 1894 to February 1898)
- The August 1894 article states that the transfer was to John Reay, but that is probably an error. John Reay was in Africa from 1893, and the 1895 gazette shows the licensee to be Edward Reay.
- Septimus Turnbull (February 1898 to February 1903)
- John Court (February 1903 to April 1907)
- John Probert (April 1907 To March 1912)
- James Edward Connor/O’Connor (March 1912 To July 1914)
- Robert Everson/Emerson (July 1914 to approx. Feb 1923)
- William John Mills (approx. Feb 1923 to April 1923)
- Robert Everson (April 1923 to April 1925)
- Edward Fitzlan/Fitzallen (April 1925 to May 1925)
- John Albert Dalton (May 1925 To January 1928)
- R H Everson (January 1928 to March 1938)
- Edward Mark Bird (March 1938 to Jul 1949)
- Henry Bonomini (1950 to at least 1955)
Newspaper articles
| Article Date Event Date | Notes |
|---|---|
| 12 Sep 1874 | "At the police court, Newcastle, on Wednesday, a publican's license was granted to Mr. Edward Reay, on the application of Mr. C.W. Rendett, solicitor, for an hotel he is about starting at Adamstown." |
| 5 May 1906 | "The Adamstown Hotel, erected over 33 years ago by Mr. Edward Reay, and purchased recently by Toohey and Co., is being demolished to make room for a modern and up-to-date building. The hotel was the first erected in the locality." |
| 11 Sep 1906 | "The new hotel, erected by Toohey and Co., on the site of the old Adamstown Hotel, is drawing near completion. The building is of a substantial character and design, and is a striking contrast compared with the buildings in Union street. The new hotel will be completed early next month, and the cost exceeds £2000. The structure contains 22 rooms." |
| 22 Nov 1906 19 Nov 1906 | "A free smoke concert to commemorate the completion and opening of the Adamstown Hotel took place in the new building on Monday last. Mr. John Sheedy presided over a fair attendance, and several toasts and complimentary speeches followed. The hotel was erected by Toohey, Limited, at a cost of £2200, and is of an attractive appearance." |
| 1 Dec 1906 | "The new Adamstown Hotel, erected for Toohey's, Limited, contains 20 large rooms, bar, parlours, dining, billiard, lodge, and bed rooms, cellar, bathrooms, etc., providing every convenience necessary for the working of a modern hotel." |
| 16 Jan 1919 14 Jan 1919 | "Mr. Edward Reay, one of the first to settle in Adamstown, died at the residence of his grandson, Mr. J. Court, in Sydney, on Tuesday. His funeral took place yesterday. Mr. Reay built the Adamstown Hotel, the first in the locality, about 45 years ago. He was 78 years of age." |
| 2 Feb 1927 | "John Albert Dalton was given permission to make material alterations to the Adamstown Hotel, Adamstown. Mr. J. Griffiths appeared for the applicant. The police reported that, due to the Main Roads Board wanting to widen the street, the hotel, among other buildings, would have to be moved back. This would mean that practically a new building would be erected, which would greatly improve the locality. Twelve months was allowed in which to complete the building." |
| 14 Mar 1927 | "TENDERS Invited, closing Noon, MONDAY, 28th MARCH, for erection and completion of the Adamstown Hotel, Adamstown, for Tooheys, Limited." |
| 14 Nov 1947 | Union St renamed to Brunker Rd. |
| 7 Aug 1953 | "Proposed alterations to the Adamstown Hotel, Adamstown, estimated to cost £3000, were approved. Mr. A. Nathan, supporting the application, said the alterations would include a portion of the building previously excluded from the premises. The work is to be completed within nine months." |