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= Darebin Bridge Hotel 1844-1922 =

David Bowman was granted a license for a hotel to be called Darebin Bridge Hotel on 27 April 1844. In 1850 the Licensing Board deemed the hotel was an unsatisfactory building and the license was revoked.

Walter Thompson was then granted a new license and built a substantial two storey blue stone building on or near the site of the original hotel. By 1853 William Lewis was listed as the publican.

The hotel prospered, receiving much trade from gold prospectors moving up to the Plenty goldfields and teamsters moving along the Heidelberg Road. In 1860 the hotel was burnt down in a fire and subsequently rebuilt. In1866 the publican, William Young became insolvent and was replaced by James Cunningham.

In 1904 a brawl in the hotel resulted in the death of William Carey who was struck by John Hewitt Rouse. At inquest the defence argued that Carey had been drunk and provoked the fight. As a result, the Magistrate, Mr R. Power dismissed the case.

The hotel closed in 1922 when Emma Dight surrendered her licence to the Licences Reduction Board. The hotel then passed through several hands including serving as an artists retreat and an office for the Australian Paper Mills before being bought by the Sick Erwin Corporation.