Lynch's Hotel, Narooma

Lynch’s Hotel, 135 Wagonga Street, Narooma

The size and prominent location on a corner make Lynch’s Hotel a landmark in Narooma. And it contributes significantly to a group of heritage structures that present a section of streetscape with impressive historic character.

The hotel was built in 1895 by William Joseph Lynch. William and his wife Jane originally opened a sawmill in Forster’s Bay on Wagonga Inlet in 1884 before, ten years later, buying land higher up in town from one George Fishburn. Here they built a large home, a store, a butcher’s shop, a bakery…and a dance hall!

Narooma was changing significantly at that time because, in 1894, a ferry service began operating across the inlet and a Moruya to Bega mail service has been established. The town soon thereafter developed into a popular tourist destination.

Lynch’s Hotel started life as a single storey building. When it received its liquor license in 1903, it was called the Coronation Hotel, probably as a nod to the coronation of King Edward VII in 1902.

At some stage a second storey was added to the hotel.

William and Jane’s daughter, Imelda, inherited the property around 1936, following the death of her father and then her mother. At that time, unmarried women were unable to hold a hotel license, so her brother Ned and her cousin Sylvester acted as licensees until the law changed in 1946 and Imelda was to become the second only unmarried woman licensee in the State.

Lynch’s Hotel, under the management of Imelda, had a reputation of being very well run. And Imelda would not tolerate swearing.

In the late 1940s, the hotel was completely refurbished with, for example, a sink and running water being installed in every guest room.

Imelda retired in 1963. She then leased the hotel, before finally selling the freehold in 1974.

Image: Lynch's Hotel, c1919