Railway Hotels of Australia

Book Series

Author: Scott Whitaker

In the early days, Railway Hotels (along with Terminus, Junction and Station) were quickly established to service the railway construction workers, or navvies. Some publicans stayed in the new town, others moved on with the navvies to the next camp. Some existing hotels were renamed to celebrate the arrival of railway communication, and some were moved to a new site nearer the railway station. Inevitably, the Railway Hotel was the haunt of the local railway workforce.

There was once over 600 Railway Hotels in Australia, but by the 1920s many had gone. Some had been burnt down – deliberately or otherwise – or even levelled by an earthquake or washed away in a flood.

Nevertheless there could have been more. Would–be publicans at Mt Gambier in South Australia, Cook on the Nullarbor Plain and at Alice Springs in the Northern Territory as well as at many other places, announced their intention of opening a Railway Hotel. Some of these people were refused a licence, some had a change of heart or some simply opened their hotel under a different name. And what about the Railway Hotels in towns that never had a railway. How could that be?

Join author Scott Whitaker as he journey’s around Australia investigating the life of the Railway Hotel through volumes 1-4.

Carisbrook Railway Hotel Exterior with people standing out front

Source: Carisbrook Historical Society

Volume Four is Out Now!

The final chapter in Scott Whitaker’s four-volume study of every Railway Hotel that trades or once traded in Australia has arrived.

Volume Four of Railway Hotels of Australia covers South Australia, Northern Territory, Tasmania and Western Australia.

It has been produced to the same high-quality standards as the previous three books.

The books look impressive either as a stand-alone work, or as a complete set.

Volume Four, released in late April 2019 is available for you to own at $70 plus $15 post and packaging. It is limited to a run of only 600 copies, so order now to secure your copy

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Volume Four- Rest of Australia: Railway Hotels of Australia Book Cover

SELLING OUT FAST

Please note that Volume One ~ Victoria is unavailable direct from this website, having sold out. Limited copies of Volume One ~ Victoria may however be available through your local book stockist.

In the eight years until 1 December 2018, SRW Publishing has donated in excess of $4000 in cash and books to historical societies, museums, libraries and railway preservation groups. With your support, Scott hopes to reach his target of $10 000 in donations by the end of 2019.

Volume One: Railway Hotels of Australia Book Cover

Volume One ~ Victoria

The coming of the railway was a major event in the history of many towns and cities across Victoria. This is the story behind every Railway Hotel; and the social, economic and political themes that have shaped society over the last 150 years.

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Volume Two ~ New South Wales

The coming of the railway was a major event in the history of many towns and cities across New South Wales. This is the story behind every Railway Hotel; and the social, economic and political themes that have shaped society over the last 150 years.

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Volume Three ~ Queensland

The coming of the railway was a major event in the history of many towns and cities across Queensland. This is the story behind every Railway Hotel; and the social, economic and political themes that have shaped society over the last 150 years.

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Review

“I congratulate Scott for achieving this substantial compilation, and commend the book to a wide readership: railway and hotel hobbyists, publicans, people with an interest in local or social history, or with an interest in architecture. Many readers may be enthused to seek and sample survivors, and join the spirits of patrons and publicans from the early years.”

Roderick Smith, retired editor of Rail News Victoria