Information
Rocklea – or the Rocky Water Holes, as it was originally called – was an important stop on the main track between Ipswich and Brisbane. A small community grew there by the early 1860s, including a blacksmith, a general store, and the Crown Hotel. That hotel was licensed to James O’Connor in 1863, on the condition that the stable accommodation there be made fit for horses. These establishments clearly served a vital function in the horse-based transport network of early Queensland. The Crown managed to survive into the second half of the 20th century, despite competition from the nearby Rocky Water Holes Hotel, which opened in 1874 and exists today as the Rocklea Hotel.
Citations
The Courier, 4 March 1863; The Telegraph, 11 March 1874.
Image Citations
Horses and riders outside the Crown Hotel, Rocklea, 1899. John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. Record number: 103269.
Map References
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