Hotels + publicans' licences

Find records and other information about Tasmanian publicans and hotels.

What’s available online?​​

Search and view many records, including publican's surnames or the names of hotels. 

Lists of hotel licences granted and or transferred appear regularly in the Tasmanian Government Gazette from 1818.

• Images of Tasmanian hotels
• Archived websites of Tasmanian hotels

What’s availabl​e physically?

These are the more significant records about publican licence records.
Publican’s licences are not available online. Please quote the references in brackets (for example TRE47) when seeking these records.

Statewide

• Certificates received from various local licensing courts about the fitness of applicants to hold public house licences, and approving their issue 1838-1853 (TRE47)
• Registers of applications for hotel licences 1881-1907, 1953-1958, 1959-1961, 1963, 1965-1976 (LC31)
• Register of hotel and public house licences issued 1919-1955 (TRE50)
• Applications for licences to sell liquor - Brighton, Clarence, Glamorgan, Green Ponds, Richmond, Sorell and Spring Bay 1828-1848, 1855 (LC449)
• Publicans recognisances - Brighton, Clarence, Glamorgan, Green Ponds, Richmond, Sorell and Spring Bay 1833-1848 (LC450)
• Minutes of Meetings of Justices to consider applications for public house licences - Brighton, Clarence, Glamorgan, Richmond, Spring Bay 1841-1856 (LC448)

Beaconsfie​ld

• Record of meetings of the Licensing Court 1917-1931 (AB427)
• Applications for public house licences 1895-1896 (LC40)
• Butts of certificates of transfer of licensed premises 1905-1932 (LC41)
• Butts of hotel licences issued 1909-1932 (LC43)

Bothwell

• Register of applications to the Licensing Court with decisions 1919-1950 (LC50)
• Copies of certificates for public house licences granted 1933-1942 (LC51)

Bruny

• Applications for hotel licences and associated papers 1937-1952 (LC60)

Burnie​

• Register of applications to the licensing court for publicans’ licences, including prosecutions 1954-1958 (LC634)
• Register of applications for liquor licences 1959-1966 (LC635)

Campbell Tow​n

• Minutes of annual meetings of the Licensing Court 1841-1919 (LC87)
• Four applications for hotel licences and renewals 1848-1849 (AC848)

Circular Head​

• Miscellaneous correspondence and associated papers on licensing matters 1903-1912 (LC20)

Deloraine​​

• Applications, minutes and associated papers of the Licensing Court 1887, 1900-1922 (LC571)
  

Devonport​

• Minutes of meetings of the Licensing Bench 1866-1918 (LC568)
• Applications for hotel licences 1951-1953 (LC127)

Evandale​​

• Applications and correspondence about public house licences 1848-1864 (AB224)

Fingal​

• Register of applications for hotel licences 1945-1949 (LC146)

Flinders Isl​​​and

• Minutes of meetings of the Licensing Court 1912-1917 (AD391)

George Tow​n

• Butts of public house licences Issued 1903-1909 (LC161)
• Applications for hotel licences 1950-1953 (LC160)

Glenorchy​

• Carbon copies of authorities issued by the Licensing Court to publicans to sell liquor under hotel licences 1941-1955 (LC181)

Green P​onds

• Minutes of meetings of the licensing court 1841-1856, 1869-1916, 1918-1952 (LC196)

Hamilton​​

• Register of applications for hotel licences 1849-1907, 1909-1930 (LC214)
• Register of public house licences issued 1871-1881 (MCC15/28)
• Applications and associated papers to keep public houses 1863-1913 (LC215)

H​​​​obart

• Minutes of proceedings in the Licensing Court 1833-1900 (LC269)
  
• Register of applications for hotel licences, meal permits 1923-1953 (LC270)
• Record of Convictions of Licensed Publicans 1855-1892 (LC271)
• Applications for late licences, meal permits and associated papers about hotels 1932-1952 (LC273)
• Mount Wellington Hotel - Correspondence and associated papers relating to the hotel 1906-1919 (NS328)
  

H​​uon

• Minutes of meetings of the Licensing Bench 1859-1900 (LC285)

K​entish

• Minutes of meetings of the Licensing Bench (also includes Devonport, Latrobe, Kentish, Penguin and Ulverstone) 1866-1885 (LC333)

Ki​ngborough

• ​Minutes of meetings of the Licensing Bench 1857-1914 (LC309)
• Register of applications for hotel licences 1918-1952 (LC310)

Latro​​be

• Minutes of meetings of the Licensing Bench 1866-1885 (LC333)
• Register of applications for hotel licences 1921-1951 (LC334)
  

Launc​​eston

• Applications for hotel licences 1831-1849 (AD853)
• Applications for hotel licences 1934-1952 (LC350)

Longford​​

• Minutes of meetings of the Licensing Bench 1848-1886, 1888-1896 (LC365)

New Norfo​​lk

• Register of applications for hotel licences 1952-1953 (LC379)
• Applications, petitions and associated papers about licensing hotels 1837, 1848, 1925-1926, 1943-1950 (LC380)

Oatlands​​​​​

• Register of applications for licences to sell liquor 1918-1929 (LC394)
• App​lications for hotel licences 1848 (AC854)
• Parattah Hotel Co. Ltd - Shareholders’ ledger (including some correspondence) 1889-1943 (NS184)

Penguin​​​

• Minutes of meetings of the Licensing Bench 1866-1908 (LC413)

Port Cygn​​et

• Minutes of meetings of the Licensing Bench 1859-1900 (LC285)
• Register of late licences issued by the Licensing Court 1959-1961 (LC417)

Portlan​d

• Minutes of meetings of the Licensing Bench 1885-1914 (LC425)
  
• Register of applications for hotel licences 1943-1952 (LC426)
• Applications for hotel licences and associated papers 1892-1904 (LC427)

Qu​​eenstown

• Register of applications for hotel licences 1938-1952 (LC439)

Ring​arooma

• Minutes of meetings of the licensing branch to consider applications for hotel licences 1908-1917 (AB459)
• Register of applications to the Licensing Court 1927-1953 (LC462)

St Leo​​nards

• Minutes of meetings of the Licensing Court 1908-1917 (AB381)

Scottsd​​ale

• Minutes of meetings of the Licensing Court 1934-1951 (LC476)
• Applications for hotel licences and associated papers 1937-1950 (LC477)
• Plans, correspondence and associated papers about the application by William Beckett for a licence for the Bridport Hotel 1930-1931 (LC478)

Sore​​ll

• Minutes of meetings of the Licensing Court 1934-1950 (LC491)

Stra​​h​​an

• Minutes of the Licensing Court 1906-1924 (LC503)

Ulversto​​ne

• ​Minutes of meetings of the Licensing Bench 1866-1914 (LC517)

Wyn​​yard

• Minutes of meetings of the Licensing Bench 1867-1876, 1908-1921 (LC548)

Zeeha​​n

• Butts of Hotel Licences Issued 1912-1914, 1916-1921 (MCC39/12)
• Applications for hotel licences and associated papers 1932 - 1948 (LC560)

Library ​​resources

• Library references to Launceston hotels
• Pubs in Hobart: from 1807 by David Bryce
• Here’s cheers: a pictorial history of hotels, taverns and inns in Hobart by C.J.Dennison

What can I find f​​rom other organisations?

• Department of Treasury and Finance - Liquor and Gaming​​ ​​​