Ross: Empire Hotel (c.1900s?)
The town of Ross was established in the 1860s, during the West Coast Gold Rush, where it became an important centre for miners. At its largest, the town had around 4,000 inhabitants, but the population declined after local goldfields were depleted in the early 1870s.
Current population is around 300.
On Aylmer Street in Ross, the Historic Empire Hotel is famous for being what it’s always been - a gold miner's pub.
The mustard-yellow wooden hotel (standing since at least the early 1900s) has an atmosphere you just can't buy. Inside is like a hoarder's goldmine of badges, photos, knick-knacks and memorabilia. The ceiling is covered in bank notes from around the world, and a framed photograph of Labour's first prime minister, Michael Savage, looks down over the bar.
Past the pool table is the women's toilet with a sign that warns of a weight limit of 250kg and "no goats": oddly, the men's toilet has unrestricted access!
Ross: Empire Hotel (c.1900s?)
The town of Ross was established in the 1860s, during the West Coast Gold Rush, where it became an important centre for miners. At its largest, the town had around 4,000 inhabitants, but the population declined after local goldfields were depleted in the early 1870s.
Current population is around 300.
On Aylmer Street in Ross, the Historic Empire Hotel is famous for being what it’s always been - a gold miner's pub.
The mustard-yellow wooden hotel (standing since at least the early 1900s) has an atmosphere you just can't buy. Inside is like a hoarder's goldmine of badges, photos, knick-knacks and memorabilia. The ceiling is covered in bank notes from around the world, and a framed photograph of Labour's first prime minister, Michael Savage, looks down over the bar.
Past the pool table is the women's toilet with a sign that warns of a weight limit of 250kg and "no goats": oddly, the men's toilet has unrestricted access!