RESIDENTS and firefighters tried heroically to save the Royal Hotel at Gurley late Thursday night when the historic building – the hub of the village – was completely destroyed by fire.
The Newell Highway was closed in both directions as Moree Fire and Rescue NSW crews and rural fire services from across the region battled the blaze.
The famous pub, purchased by Tally Athorn two years ago and managed by herself and partner Cameron Rose, is steeped in history.
Sadly, a lot of that hotel history as well as family keepsakes and memorabilia was lost in the blaze.
There was little that could be done to save the all-timber structure and fortunately, no-one was injured.
The Gurley Pub, originally named the Royal Mail Hotel, was a two-storey timber pub built by licensee Lyle Eckford in 1913, the year Gurley was proclaimed a village.
Eckford transferred the license to Gurley Siding from the Royal Mail Hotel at Millie when that hotel was destroyed by fire in 1913.
Eckford sold the hotel in 1938 to the Prior family, who sold to Dr John McGirr in November, 1962.
Dr McGirr’s pharmacist father, also named John, was Australian Labor Party whip from 1916 until 1917, and deputy party leader from 1921 until 1922.
In 1943, a severe windstorm wiped out the first floor, and the hotel was converted to a single-storey building.
The historic watering hole was known as the Royal Hotel as early as 1925 and, more colloquially, the Gurley Pub.
The McGirr family leased the hotel to various licensees over the years before selling to the current owner in 2022.
Lifetime Gurley resident, John Tramby, said nothing could be done to save the structure.
“There were seven fire appliances here, from as far away as Ashley, Moree and Bellata. They used 100,000 litres of water and, unfortunately, couldn’t save the old building,” Mr Tramby said.
He said he hopes the hotel can be re-established in the near future.
“I’m hoping the license will stay in Gurley, and let’s hope the owners can rebuild,” Mr Tramby said.
“Hotels don’t need accommodation these days, just a bar, so licensed premises like a tavern would be ideal.”
Mr Tramby said a lot of history was lost in the fire.
“There are five generations of my family who have had a cold beer there at some stage, during the last 100 years,” he said.
“When the railway line came through and Cobb & Co collapsed, Millie was a thriving village with two hotels.
“One of those licenses was transferred to Bellata and the other to Gurley,” he said.
“The pub was damaged once in a windstorm while being built and again during the second world war when the top floor was lost, again in a windstorm.
“There was a ration on materials, and the second floor couldn’t be rebuilt, so it was converted to a single-storey structure,” he said.
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