The Evans Hotel
George Evans arrived in Victoria in 1852 and followed the gold rushes looking for gold. In 1856 he went into partnership with a Mr Crosland and opened the Yorkshire Hotel at Chinamans Flat (Timor). The hotel would probably have been a timber and canvas construction that could be easily pulled down and moved on a dray to the next rush. This was Wehla in May 1857, followed by Cochranes Diggings a month or two afterwards. Cochranes Diggings became Cochranes Creek then later changed to Bealiba. The Yorkshire Hotel was in the original main street at the rush. This was near the rush at No 1 Hill. The main street was on the Archdale Rd. The only other description of it states it was next door to Hunt’s butchers shop.
George Evans
In mid 1858 George Evans appears to have sold his share in the Yorkshire Hotel to Crosland and opened his own hotel on the site that it still is today. This was the first building in what is the business area of Bealiba. It is said that when Evans built his hotel he was followed by other businesses in line each side. They formed the crooked main street that we have today.
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Evans called his hotel the Charlie Napier Hotel but it was more commonly known as Evans Hotel. He built the first brick section of this hotel in 1864. Over the years the original wooden sections were replaced in brick. Evans Hotel was always the pre-eminent hotel in Bealiba. Evans stated that during the rush he had purchased £20,000 worth of gold through the hotel in one year.
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After George Evans died in 1889, the ownership of the hotel went to his widow, Phyllis, while the licence went to his son, George.
In 1919 there was a fire in the lodgings at the rear of the hotel in which the hotel groom Charles Oxley unfortunately died. Further brick additions were done to the hotel in 1924. After this the hotel was described as having seventeen rooms, a bar and billiard room. From 1938 Evans Hotel has been the only hotel in Bealiba.
