Two photos of G. Waddell’s Two Mile Hotel, Gympie

One of the main purposes of this blog is to share photos that are gathering dust in cupboards and drawers. I have posted about the most famous photo of the Two Mile Hotel here and a 1978 interview with Jim Waddell (son of George Waddell, who owned the Two Mile Hotel) . I realised that I also have a 2nd photo of the hotel that I havent shared….

This is the most famous photo of the Two Mile Hotel – it pops up everywhere – and it was just down the road from the Two Mile School (which still exists)

George Waddell and family standing outside the Two Mile Hotel near Gympie, Queensland, Australia c1910. George Waddell (far left), his son Jim Waddell (2nd from left) and three of his daughters – Edith Waddell holding Jean Waddell in her arms and one other Waddell sister, but exactly who she is still unknown) Family Collection.

There is also a 2nd photo, showing the main road and frontage onto the main road (which is now the Bruce Highway). I havent seen this photo on public sites so far, although I am told it appeared in a Two Mile School Centenary booklet. It shows the long verandah and stairs more clearly, and the fence as well as a bullock team in the middle of the main road.

Two Mile Hotel – about 1910, exact date unknown. Source: Family collection

The Two Mile hotel is clearly marked on the 1909 topographic maps of the Gympie area, on Chatsworth Road, two blocks over from the Two Mile School:

Cropped topographic map of Two Mile area of Gympie, from Qld government maps in 1909. [1]

A reporter described the houses and features of the Chatworth Road in 25 Feb 1905 [2] and the “liquid comfort” dispensed at the Two Mile Hotel:

Description of Two Mile main road, 25 Feb 1905 in Gympie Times [2]

George Waddell sold the Two Mile Hotel before burned down in 1920 – but the road is still named after the Waddells (even if it is misspelled as Wadell!) https://goo.gl/maps/6syesTaa7F9bMLkV7

Sources:

[1] https://www.data.qld.gov.au/dataset/historical-topographic-map-series-queensland/resource/4be391aa-0f45-4b9a-a98f-c8f46ec079a4 and https://gisservices.information.qld.gov.au/arcgis/rest/directories/historicalscans/topo_scans/topo-map-6chain-line-colour-gympie-sh6-1909.jpg

[2] Gympie and District Farming & Grazing. (1905, February 25). Gympie Times and Mary River Mining Gazette (Qld. : 1868 – 1919), p. 4. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article188059875