One Tree, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
One Tree is a location
on the Cobb Highway
on the flat plain between Hay
and Booligal
in the Riverina
district of New South Wales
, Australia
. In 1862
a public house was built there – the One Tree Inn – and the locality developed as a coach changing-stage and watering-place between the Murrumbidgee
and Lachlan
rivers. One Tree village was surveyed and proclaimed in 1882
, though the location remained as just an amenity on the plain, centred on the hotel.
The existing One Tree Hotel is the second building of that name to occupy the site. The first hotel was destroyed by fire in 1903
. The hotel was re-built in the same manner as the original structure (by the provisions of the insurance policy). The license of the One Tree Hotel was relinquished in 1942
by its last publican, Frank McQuade. The One Tree Hotel is an important historical building, providing a tangible link to the heyday of pastoral settlement in the Riverina.
The name ‘One Tree’ derives from the presence of a large gum tree on the otherwise treeless plain (called the One Tree Plain). The landmark tree was destroyed by a storm in January 1900
.
The One Tree Hotel is constructed of split cypress-pine logs, with verandahs on three sides and a hipped corrugated-iron roof. Twelve-paned windows are located between the four panel doors which open along the verandahs. There is a detached kitchen and small weatherboard shed at the rear of the building. The building was an accurate 1903 replication of the original 1862 hotel which had been destroyed by fire. The insurance company, the Australian Mutual Fire Insurance Society, stipulated the hotel was to be replaced with one identical to the original.
The One Tree Hotel was placed on the Register of the National Estate in May 1991.
's poem Hay and Hell and Booligal
. An alternate suggestion is that 'Hell' refers to Hells Gate, a property which lies between Hay and Balranald.
Location (geography)
The terms location and place in geography are used to identify a point or an area on the Earth's surface or elsewhere. The term 'location' generally implies a higher degree of can certainty than "place" which often has an ambiguous boundary relying more on human/social attributes of place identity...
on the Cobb Highway
Cobb Highway
The Cobb Highway is a State highway in western New South Wales, Australia. From north to south the Cobb Highway begins at its junction with the Barrier Highway near Wilcannia and runs south through the townships of Ivanhoe, Booligal, Hay and Deniliquin. It ends at Moama where the...
on the flat plain between Hay
Hay, New South Wales
Hay is a town in the western Riverina region of south western New South Wales , Australia. It is the administrative centre of Hay Shire Local Government Area and the centre of a prosperous and productive agricultural district on the wide Hay Plains....
and Booligal
Booligal, New South Wales
Booligal is a village in the Riverina area of western New South Wales , Australia. It is located on the Cobb Highway, on the Lachlan River north of Hay...
in the Riverina
Riverina
The Riverina is an agricultural region of south-western New South Wales , Australia. The Riverina is distinguished from other Australian regions by the combination of flat plains, warm to hot climate and an ample supply of water for irrigation. This combination has allowed the Riverina to develop...
district of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. In 1862
1862 in Australia
See also:1861 in Australia,other events of 1861,1863 in Australia and theTimeline of Australian history.- Governors:Governors of the Australian colonies:*Governor of New South Wales - John Young, 1st Baron Lisgar...
a public house was built there – the One Tree Inn – and the locality developed as a coach changing-stage and watering-place between the Murrumbidgee
Murrumbidgee River
The Murrumbidgee River is a major river in the state of New South Wales, Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory . A major tributary of the Murray River, the Murrumbidgee flows in a west-northwesterly direction from the foot of Peppercorn Hill in the Fiery Range of the Snowy Mountains,...
and Lachlan
Lachlan River
- Course :The river rises in the central highland of New South Wales, part of the Great Dividing Range, 13 km east of Gunning. Its major headwaters, the Carcoar River, the Belubula River and the Abercrombie River converge near the town of Cowra. Minor tributaries include the Morongla Creek...
rivers. One Tree village was surveyed and proclaimed in 1882
1882 in Australia
See also:1881 in Australia,other events of 1882,1883 in Australia and theTimeline of Australian history.-Governors:Governors of the Australian colonies:*Governor of New South Wales – Lord Augustus Loftus*Governor of Queensland – Arthur Edward Kennedy...
, though the location remained as just an amenity on the plain, centred on the hotel.
The existing One Tree Hotel is the second building of that name to occupy the site. The first hotel was destroyed by fire in 1903
1903 in Australia
See also:1902 in Australia,other events of 1903,1904 in Australia and theTimeline of Australian history.-Incumbents:*Monarch – Edward VII*Governor General – John Hope, 7th Earl of Hopetoun , then Hallam Tennyson, 2nd Baron Tennyson...
. The hotel was re-built in the same manner as the original structure (by the provisions of the insurance policy). The license of the One Tree Hotel was relinquished in 1942
1942 in Australia
See also:1941 in Australia,other events of 1942,1943 in Australia and theTimeline of Australian history.-Incumbents:*Monarch – King George VI*Governor-General – Alexander Hore-Ruthven, 1st Baron Gowrie*Prime Minister – John Curtin-State Premiers:...
by its last publican, Frank McQuade. The One Tree Hotel is an important historical building, providing a tangible link to the heyday of pastoral settlement in the Riverina.
The name ‘One Tree’ derives from the presence of a large gum tree on the otherwise treeless plain (called the One Tree Plain). The landmark tree was destroyed by a storm in January 1900
1900 in Australia
See also: 1899 in Australia, other events in 1900, 1901 in Australia, Timeline of Australian history.-Incumbents:*Monarch — Queen VictoriaNote: Australia was not yet federated as of 1900, therefore no prime minister existed....
.
Structure of the hotel
The One Tree Hotel was placed on the Register of the National Estate in May 1991.
Literary associations
An alternate name for One Tree was "Hell", and the locality was referenced in Banjo PatersonBanjo Paterson
Andrew Barton "Banjo" Paterson, OBE was an Australian bush poet, journalist and author. He wrote many ballads and poems about Australian life, focusing particularly on the rural and outback areas, including the district around Binalong, New South Wales where he spent much of his childhood...
's poem Hay and Hell and Booligal
Hay and Hell and Booligal
Hay and Hell and Booligal is a poem by the Australian bush poet Banjo Paterson. Paterson wrote the poem while working as a solicitor with the firm of Street & Paterson in Sydney. It was first published in The Bulletin on 25 April 1896...
. An alternate suggestion is that 'Hell' refers to Hells Gate, a property which lies between Hay and Balranald.
External links
- Photo of the One Tree Hotel by Andrew Schipp, submission to a 2004 photo competition run by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.