Margaret O'Connell was 57 and had 7 living children when her husband Terence O'Connell died in 1879. At some stage after his death and prior to 1883 the O'Connell family moved from Black Willow in the Hargraves region to "Goodiman" about 9 miles west of Gulgong. It is likely they overlapped with the Goodiman publican William Payne at this time as he ended up married to Bridget, one of the O'Connell daughters.
1899 – [POST SCRIPT]Poor old William Payne, for many years an hotelkeeper at Slasher's Flat, died the other day at Wellington. As "white" a man as ever lived in the district was old "Bill" Payne. He was brother-in-law to Mr. W. Norris, Gulgong, E. O'Connell at Goodiman, and John O'Brien, of Tallewang.Source: Mudgee Guardian and North-Western Representative (NSW : 1890 - 1954) Fri 17 Mar 1899 Page 10
By 1880 "Goodiman" was a known landmark (albeit by various names) and was used to advise hopeful prospectors of the location of a recent gold find.
1877 – [GOLD]NEW FIND of Gold. — The Gulgong Argus of the 19th instant says: We are informed that some parties from Tallewang have discovered new alluvial ground, about half-a-mile from Bassel's and about three miles from Goodaman House, the sinking being 6 feet, and the prospect obtained a quarter of a pennyweight to the dish. Only two claims are on gold at present, but a general stampede set in from Tallewang on Monday morning, and from the ground being shallow it is easily tested. The country around, although of a rugged nature, has all the appearance of being auriferousSource: The Sydney Mail and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1871 - 1912) Sat 23 Jun 1877 Page 780
1877 - [LICENCE]
The Treasury, New South Wales, 31st August, 1877 - THE following Return of Publicans’ Licenses which have been issued for the year commenced 1st July, 1877, and ending 30th June, 1878, is published for general information.
- Fitzpatrick, James - Goodaman Creek, Cobborah Road - Goodaman Inn
1878 - [PUBLICAN'S LICENCE]
The Treasury, New South Wales, 24th August, 1878 - The following Return of Publicans’ Licenses which have been issued for the year commenced 1st July, 1878, and ending 30th June, 1879, is published for general information.
- Payne, William - Goodaman Creek, Cobborah Road - Goodaman Inn
1880 - [GOLD]
During the week the rush to the neighbourhood of Goodiman, near Gulgong, has slightly increased, and will doubtless continue to do so, now that it is ascertained that "a patch" has been struck. At present there are 12 claims on gold, but not yet ascertained to be payable. Gaetor and party, the prospectors, have washed nine dishes for a prospect of 4dwt. All are raising dirt. The locality of the rush is about a mile on the Cobbora side of the Goodiman Inn, in a small narrow gully. The miners say the discovery is not a rich one.
Source: Australian Town and Country Journal, Sat 12 Jun 1880, Page 23
1880 – [GOLD]
GOODIMAN DIGGINGS. - This latest, rush (on the Cobborah road, about a mile from Goodiman public-house) has proved a failure, and is almost abandoned.
At least as early as 1883, Patrick O'Connell had a Colonial Wine Licence for the Goodiman property. See here for one scathing account of the state of many country inns in Australia at the time.
Patrick was also listed in the NSW Government Gazettes of 1895 to 1899 as still having a wine licence in the Wellington Licencing District. In 1900 the licencing boundaries changed so that O'Connell's Wine Shop at Goodiman (and Niven's Hotel just up the road at Spring Ridge) were thereafter licensed in the Mudgee district.
By the end of the century, "Goodiman House" was described as "old". The Goodiman Inn was still used as a landmark. For example, “Tallewang Rd to Goodiman Inn” was a phrase used to describe 4 miles of road works put out to tender in these years. It's not clear when the Inn stopped operating. Possibly in 1900 when Patrick O'Connell chose not to renew the wine licence. By then the O'Connell brothers were heavily involved in running sheep and cattle (and being plagued by rabbits!)
1899 – [LAND SALE]
80 Acres of land, beside of Goodiman Creek, about half a mile from the old Goodiman House.
Source: Mudgee Guardian and North-Western Representative (NSW : 1890 - 1954) Tue 9 May 1899 Page 3
1900 - [WINE LICENSE]
Patrick O'Connell did not apply for a renewal of his colonial wine license at Goodiman.
Source: Wellington Times (NSW : 1899 - 1954) Mon 23 Apr 1900 Page 3
This photo, taken in 1939 by Eugene O'Brien (nephew of Eugene O'Connell)
shows a rear view of the Goodiman Inn and accompanying stables and blacksmith.
shows a rear view of the Goodiman Inn and accompanying stables and blacksmith.
Detail with stables (centre) and blacksmith (short, dark building on right).
Side view of Goodiman Inn, 22 March 1948.
Disused Goodiman Inn c 1960s
Goodiman Inn, 1960s
Source: Barbara Gurney
Source: Barbara Gurney
Yards next to Goodiman Inn (part of Inn far right), 1960s
Source: Barbara Gurney
The Goodiman Inn building in August 1977.
Doug Bunker, the owner of the covered wagon, August 1977.
Another covered wagon in front of the old Goodiman Inn.
Verandah of the Goodiman Inn.
These sketches of the Goodiman Inn (front and rear) were made by Brian Knight, a visitor to Goodiman farm during the 1970s.
This chimney and the edge of the separate kitchen building at the rear of the Goodiman Inn, can be seen in the photo below (from a different angle).
Behind these buildings was a stable which in the 1970s still housed an unused sulky. Beyond that was a blacksmith's building.
How Goodiman Inn looked in 1994.
Former location of Goodiman Inn, February 2021
A sign donated to the Gulgong Pioneer's Museum in September 2020 appears to be a very early sign for Patrick O'Connell's business at Goodiman. The sign is thought to say:
GOODAMAN HOUSE ACCOMMODATION
LICENSED TO SELL
COLONIAL WINE
P O'CONNELL PROPRIETOR
The following article paints a picture of what the area looked like in 1907. By this date there is no mention of Goodiman Inn, only Niven's roadside hotel at Spring Ridge.
THE COBBORAH-ROAD.On the Cobborah-road, when Reedy Creek is passed, most of the good country is left behind so far as the immediate roadside is concerned. The exceptions are at Goodiman, where Mr. O'Connell has a large holding and some cultivation; at Haley's, where new land is being brought into cultivation, and ring barking is going on; and at Faulkner's (Lackey Creek). Spring Ridge, the property of Mr. Nevin, is a large holding, a very great area of which has been cleared at what must have been a very heavy cost. It lies between Goodiman and Lackey Creek. The country consists chiefly of steep ridges, with little depth of soil, but affording useful grazing ground for sheep and cattle. The picturesque and substantial roadside hotel here illustrated is located on this property.Source: THE FARMER. Over Old Leads. | II. | GULGONG TO THE TALBRAGAR. Australian Town and Country Journal (Sydney, NSW : 1870 - 1907) Wednesday 6 November 1907 p 34
The following photos were taken at the Gulgong Pioneer's Museum in December 2013. They suggest what the interior of the Goodiman Inn might have looked like.
The liquor
Simple beds with capoc mattresses for sleeping
An old tin bath
A fireplace
Wall structure
The walls of the Goodiman Inn were of a similar structure to the one depicted above. I remember looking behind the exterior planks as a child and seeing sticks and mud. I don't think the interior walls were plastered though.
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See also:
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