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hotel's survival. Robert Kelly, however, transferred his publican's license
and his billiard license to Thomas Hill and became licensee of the Coally
Hotel (Sturt Recorder, June 18, 1897:3).
With the departure of Robert Kelly the Albert went through a period of
attention from the police. Senior Constable Wood, "on oath", said 'On
Sunday afternoon last I saw eight or ten men congregated around two men
who were fighting in the Albert Hotel yard... ' The accused, John Adams, a
miner from Mount Browne, thought Senior Constable Wood was only
joking when arrested for riotous behaviour in a public place ... 'The bench
fined Adams five shillings or two days in the lock-up and cautioned him
against repeating the offence and especially in refusing to give his name
when asked'(Sturt Recorder, July 30, 1897:2).
In October 1897 Senior Constable Wood again brought attention to the
licensee of the Albert Hotel when he charged Hill with selling liquor at
prohibited hours. Hill explained that he had, while serving three men who
he thought were travellers, suddenly found a cheque which he had lost.
'Several men who were in the billiard room heard me say that I had found
the cheque and I asked them to have a drink but I took no money for it. ..
The Court fined the defendant 20/- with costs of court.' Hill was also
charged with 'serving Tommy Thomson, an aboriginal native of Australia,
with drink on 20th September last' and in defence stated 'He is not an
Aboriginal. I did not know there was any harm as he is a Victorian
blackfellow... The Court fined the defendant two pounds with costs, and
the bench remarked that two pounds was the lowest penalty that could be
inflicted and warned the offender against being convicted a third time
under the Act, as he would then be liable to have his license cancelled'
(Sturt Recorder, October 16, 1897:2).
On another occasion the hotel's yardman, George Wade, was accused of
stealing a coat, a watch and two bottles of whisky from Benjamin Bradford,
a boundary rider from Cobham. The coat and watch had been left on the
hotel yard fence, while the two bottles of whisky were in a saddle-bag.
George Wade spent fourteen days in the Milparinka lockup (Sturt
Recorder, December 4, 1897).
However, the Albert Hotel was considered an appropriate venue for the
marriage 'of Mr. Harry Lord Garriques to Margaret Adelaide daughter of
E.C. Cregan of Flinders Street Adelaide' on Sunday morning, September
12, 1897. Dr. Dunne, Bishop of Wilcannia officiated, and the bride wore a
steel grey costume. (Sturt Recorder, September 19, 1897:2)
Although there was a succession of licensees, George Blore continued to
own the structure of the Albert Hotel until May 9, 1910 when the property
was transferred to Henry Joseph Bonnett. Bonnett gave his occupation as
Land Owner, and from then some interesting transfers were recorded, all
having the effect of frustrating any attempt to usurp control of the premises
from Henry Bonnett's Widow, Mary Anne. The hotel remained in the hands