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One of the three Selwyn Hotels
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TitleOne of the three Selwyn Hotels
DescriptionOn the banks of the lower reaches of the Selwyn River there were three hotels that were referred to, in the newspapers, at some stage, as the “Selwyn Hotel”.
These were Giggs’s on the Old South Road, Slee’s in Selwyn Town and the Selwyn Bridge Hotel on Leeston Road.
In mid-September 1869, the new hotel in Selwyn Town was granted a hotel license after a week’s adjournment.
By the end of the month, Benjamin Searle (Manager) advertised that he had opened “Slee’s Hotel” together with a livery stables (built by Joshua Page) and Frank Slee advertised a Pigeon Match, Sweepstake Matches (betting associated with pigeon shooting) to open the house the next day.
The trouble was that Slee was insolvent and his Zetland Arms Hotel and Selwyn Hotel were offered for sale by 1870.
After a delay of four months the Selwyn Hotel was again for sale but this time Joseph (maybe Joshua) Page was the occupant. Injunctions were sought by Page, but he lost.
By June 1870, Page held the licence but in July it was transferred to William Lawrence and he set about adding to the hotel and providing meals for 90 people at the Selwyn Ploughing match in August 1870.
Lawrence’s land contained stockyards for holding the animals of customers and monthly sales.
In May 1872, when Lawrence was applying for a license for his hotel at Dunsandel, said he was prepared to give-up the Selwyn Licence if needed. Both licenses were retained.
Lawrence died in April 1876 and the hotel and land were advertised for lease.
In March 1877 the license was transferred from Lawrence’s lawyers to Peter Grant, who then rapidly transferred it to Thomas Stone who transferred it to John West after 20 months.
The hotel was again up for lease in March 1882 and John West’s lease expired mid-1883 and he sold all his stock.
William Blackler obtained the license in May 1884.
The Selwyn Athletic Sports was held in a paddock adjoining the Selwyn Hotel in November 1885 and it was reported that “ Mr W. Blackler, late of the Selwyn Hotel, had a stall of teetotal drinks and refreshments” at the sports.
Then the official assignee advertised that he was to apply to have the license temporarily transferred to David Grange, who had recently filed for bankruptcy. Grange advertised that he wanted to transfer the license to Thomas McGuire and by August 1887 Mr and Mrs McGuire, of the Selwyn Hotel, were catering for about 150 couples at a jubilee ball which was held in the Selwyn railway goods shed.
A year later McGuire wanted to transfer the license to Alexander Spalding.
Soon after Spalding was charged with selling drink on a Sunday and the licensing committee decided that under no consideration whatever would the license be renewed to Mr Spalding for the Selwyn Hotel and it was also decided that the license for either the Selwyn or Dunsandel Hotels should be permanently refused at the annual meeting in June.
Spalding’s furniture and effects were sold to pay his debts.
It is possible that an advertisement calling for tenders to lease the hotel and land in April 1890 was unsuccessful and the hotel lay vacant until June 1896 when tenders were called to remove the building to Dunsandel to replace the original Dunsandel Hotel.
Mike Noonan
Dunsandel Historic Society
Date2 March 2023SourceThe Ellesmere EchoLocationSelwyn Village
DescriptionOn the banks of the lower reaches of the Selwyn River there were three hotels that were referred to, in the newspapers, at some stage, as the “Selwyn Hotel”. These were Giggs’s on the Old South Road, Slee’s in Selwyn Town and the Selwyn Bridge Hotel on Leeston Road.
In mid-September 1869, the new hotel in Selwyn Town was granted a hotel license after a week’s adjournment.
By the end of the month, Benjamin Searle (Manager) advertised that he had opened “Slee’s Hotel” together with a livery stables (built by Joshua Page) and Frank Slee advertised a Pigeon Match, Sweepstake Matches (betting associated with pigeon shooting) to open the house the next day.
The trouble was that Slee was insolvent and his Zetland Arms Hotel and Selwyn Hotel were offered for sale by 1870.
After a delay of four months the Selwyn Hotel was again for sale but this time Joseph (maybe Joshua) Page was the occupant. Injunctions were sought by Page, but he lost.
By June 1870, Page held the licence but in July it was transferred to William Lawrence and he set about adding to the hotel and providing meals for 90 people at the Selwyn Ploughing match in August 1870.
Lawrence’s land contained stockyards for holding the animals of customers and monthly sales.
In May 1872, when Lawrence was applying for a license for his hotel at Dunsandel, said he was prepared to give-up the Selwyn Licence if needed. Both licenses were retained.
Lawrence died in April 1876 and the hotel and land were advertised for lease.
In March 1877 the license was transferred from Lawrence’s lawyers to Peter Grant, who then rapidly transferred it to Thomas Stone who transferred it to John West after 20 months.
The hotel was again up for lease in March 1882 and John West’s lease expired mid-1883 and he sold all his stock.
William Blackler obtained the license in May 1884.
The Selwyn Athletic Sports was held in a paddock adjoining the Selwyn Hotel in November 1885 and it was reported that “ Mr W. Blackler, late of the Selwyn Hotel, had a stall of teetotal drinks and refreshments” at the sports.
Then the official assignee advertised that he was to apply to have the license temporarily transferred to David Grange, who had recently filed for bankruptcy. Grange advertised that he wanted to transfer the license to Thomas McGuire and by August 1887 Mr and Mrs McGuire, of the Selwyn Hotel, were catering for about 150 couples at a jubilee ball which was held in the Selwyn railway goods shed.
A year later McGuire wanted to transfer the license to Alexander Spalding.
Soon after Spalding was charged with selling drink on a Sunday and the licensing committee decided that under no consideration whatever would the license be renewed to Mr Spalding for the Selwyn Hotel and it was also decided that the license for either the Selwyn or Dunsandel Hotels should be permanently refused at the annual meeting in June.
Spalding’s furniture and effects were sold to pay his debts.
It is possible that an advertisement calling for tenders to lease the hotel and land in April 1890 was unsuccessful and the hotel lay vacant until June 1896 when tenders were called to remove the building to Dunsandel to replace the original Dunsandel Hotel.
Mike Noonan
Dunsandel Historic Society
Date2 March 2023SourceThe Ellesmere EchoLocationSelwyn VillageConnections
CollectionHistory of Town of SelwynOrganisationDunsandel Historic Society
OrganisationDunsandel Historic SocietyAttribution
Researched ByMike NoonanWritten ByMike Noonan
Written ByMike NoonanClick on the image to add
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One of the three Selwyn Hotels (2 March 2023). Selwyn Stories, accessed 29/05/2026, https://selwynstories.selwynlibraries.co.nz/nodes/view/5376