Richard Angove's general store, Gulgong
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Hardware, grocery, and wine store of Richard and Mary Angove in Mayne Street, between the Bank of New South Wales and the Newmarket Sale Yards. The small room under the verandah on the eastern end was where Mrs Angove conducted Gulgong's first Post Office.
In February 1871 she gave the job of Postmistress away and Robert Robinson took over as Postmaster. In December 1872 the store was turned into Angove's Hotel. In July 1875 Richard Angove died and his wife Mary took over as licensee. The Hotel site remained in her name at least until 1880.Source: Information supplied by Baldwin & Davis, Research Gulgong (July 2006)
1871 - [ARRIVALS AT ANGOVE'S]
…a sensational event in its way, (and also an acknowledged institution), is the arrival of Tarrant’s coach from Mudgee, every evening about 8 o’clock; there are other coaches besides Tarrant’s, but Tarrant’s is the coach, being the best known and largest upon the road.
The knight of the whip is careful, attentive, and civil, and immediately upon the rumble of the wheels being heard, and the huge caravan-looking vehicle looms in sight with its two lamps brightly burning, then these gentlemen miners, distracted with having nothing to do, waiting patiently for something to turn up in their favour, seize this, their rightful and undisputed opportunity, to pop out from all sorts of imaginable places—from under verandahs, from public houses, billiard-rooms, and elsewhere, flocking down the street after the coach in a kind of a quick march, jog-trot, be-in-time sort of a step, awaiting its being pulled up in front of Angove’s store, which, when done, they, the miners, pronounce sentence according to the evidence then heard and seen.
The sides and back part of the coach is surrounded by individuals, who close up in that peculiar manner known only to the mining community, and, I think, I can safely assert, cannot be equalled or excelled by any other class. Our worthy Jehu, holding the reins in one hand (while his youthful head man unharnesses the horses), and his head in the other hand, trying to collect his scattered wandering thoughts, most probably recollecting something that he had forgot, and that recollection immediately being everlastingly banished from his memory by the innumerable questions pitched in all manner of keys—all being asked at one time, and each and all expecting to be replied to first such as, “Did you bring that for me, Tarrant— and what did he say?” are the telegrams up; and “Has Mr. Brown come?” &c. However, Tarrant pulls through it all, and manages at the same time to keep one eye and one hand open—the hand receiving the scattered half-crowns from his passengers, and with a “Thank you, sir”.
While the above is occurring in the fore part of the coach, a little arrangement is going on at the rear portion, where there is a dense crowd who gaze earnestly (as well as the darkness will enable them) into the body of the coach, endeavouring as much as possible to see who they are, what they are, and if possible find out where they come from. An inquisitive race are the gold-miners, which is not the only acquisition they are possessed of. Gallantry and an unfailing devotion to the fair sex is another, and their admiration cannot be exceeded; should fortune so favour them that their gaze should alight upon a lady passenger or two then they rest not till they succeed in learning whether those ladies are young or old—esteeming them both greatly, but yet, I must say, a prejudiced class are miners, showing a partiality and a greater amount of sympathy for the younger and best looking lady of the two. The gentlemen passengers seeing the mass of human beings that are taking a sight at them, not to be abashed or confused, and also to give a notion that they are perfectly at home and comfortable anywhere—jump off the coach as smart as possible, catching hold of their luggage or what-not, walking off with a jaunty springing step, and going quickly in a direction nowhere,—attempting to delude the lookers-on with the idea that they know the run of the place, and have been upon Gulgong before.
There are also (winding-up the coach business) a few more who hail the arrival of the coach as an advent perhaps slightly conducive to their welfare. There are the Sydney Mail and Town and Country gentlemen rushing about in a frantic manner, informing the bystanders that both papers are sixpence a copy this week—emphasising the this week—leaving his hearers to ponder and imagine whether the price will be ninepence or fourpence the next week, or whether they will be given away gratis.
Source: The Sydney Morning Herald, Sat 25 Mar 1871, Page 4A child (one year old) of Mr. Richard Angove, has died from burns received last evening. The coroner held an inquest to-day, and the verdict was accidental death.
Source: The Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser (NSW : 1843 - 1893) Sat 5 Jul 1873 Page 2
1908 - DEATH OF MRS. BAKER [FORMERLY ANGOVE].
Cootamundra people will be very sorry to hear of the death of Mrs. Baker, of Haberfield, Summer Hill, who in 1877, purchased from Mr. J. F. Barnes the property which is known far and wide as "Angove's Albion Hotel." The late Mrs. Baker came to Cootamundra from the famous Gulgong goldfield, then Mrs. Angove, a widow. Hence the name quoted above. She died on Saturday, 22nd instant, at the cosy Swiss cottage known as "Milton," in the pretty suburb of Summer Hill, at the ripe age of 76 years.
She had been a strong woman physically until one evening, as she sat on the verandah of the old Albion Hotel, she was stung by a poisonous insect, which resulted in paralysis of her lower limbs. For years she had to be wheeled about and in the care of nurses and attendants. The stroke was afterwards enhanced, it is believed, by a great shock that was given her by the news that she received of the dead body of her son being found in the Rhine, William Angove, whom she had sent home in order to enable him to complete his studies for the medical profession, and who, having about reached the goal of his own and his devoted mother's ambition, had gone on a holiday tour with a college mate on the Rhine in Germany. The mystery of his drowning was never cleared up, though the Mayor of the town where his body was buried did all he could to try and gain particulars for the mother. She suffered terrible grief on this account.
The late Mrs. Baker was of very keen business qualities, instinct with forecasts of future prospects; and for this reason she made money on the goldfields about Gulgong, and after wards on those of Scrubyards, Temora, and Muttama. She came to Cootamundra because she had an idea that it was to be the centre of important mining developments; and subsequent events realised her hopes.
She also saw that Cootamundra was to become a centre of a railway system that must mean its growth into a thriving township; and in order to help it along in its progress she was one of the freest in giving money towards any and every public movement with a progressive object in it. The Vigilance Committee, founded in 1877, always had her special assistance and advice; and she was a generous supporter of the Agricultural and Pastoral Association, the Hospital, all sporting institutions; and, at the same time she never forgot her duty to the churches and schools and any social societies. She would tender and cater for everything that was going, whether it paid her or not, in order to keep up the reputation of Cootamundra for enterprise and public spirit. During the whole of her life since the early part of 1877 she never lost interest in Cootamundra; and it was always a pleasure to her to be visited by old friends from here when in Sydney.
Her sons surviving her are Mr. John Angove, of Perth, West Australia, and Mr. Ernest Angove, the C.L. Agent of Barmedman. Her daughters are Mrs. R. E. Chapman, who was one of the first managers of the Bank of New South Wales, Cootamundra (when it was in the building that is now Mr. J. Connell's auction mart rooms), Mrs. McCulloch, widow of the late Mr. John McCulloch, whose name will not die in Cootamundra for many years to come yet), and Mrs J. Connell, who became the natural successor of her mother as hostess of the Albion Hotel.
The boys got their primary education in the public school, Cootamundra. As for the writer of this obituary notice, he held Mrs. Baker in the highest esteem for the high qualities of citizenship, public enterprise, and dutifulness to her children, which were the prominent traits in her nature and character. Our kindly sympathy is extended to all members of the family; and we feel sure that all who enjoyed the acquaintance of the late Mrs. Baker will cordially join us in this expression of sympathy.
1910 - ANGOVE'S STORE & POST OFFICE
The post-office was at Angove's store, and the sight of the [gold]field after the mail coach had arrived and the letters, etc, sorted the postmaster, mounted on a packing-case, called out the names alphabetically, and each person answered his name and received his letters, after being passed over the heads of the assembled thousands.
Source: Freeman's Journal (Sydney, NSW : 1850 - 1932) Thu 9 Jun 1910 Page 7
The post-office was at Angove's store, and the sight of the [gold]field after the mail coach had arrived and the letters, etc, sorted the postmaster, mounted on a packing-case, called out the names alphabetically, and each person answered his name and received his letters, after being passed over the heads of the assembled thousands.
Source: Freeman's Journal (Sydney, NSW : 1850 - 1932) Thu 9 Jun 1910 Page 7
See also: Angove Family History (external site)
