Caledonian History
The Caledonian Hotel at Robe was built in 1859 by a very eligible Scotsman, Peter McQueen. The building has many early historic associations of interest.
Ships' doors and some of the timbers used in its construction came from the Dutch ship "Koning Willem De Tweede" and the "Phaeton", both of which were wrecked in Guichen Bay (named by the French explorer, Captain Nicholas Baudin, in 1802, just prior to his meeting with Mathew Flinders at Encounter Bay).
Both the 1,200 ton "Phaeton" and the "Koning Willem" were wrecked in 1857, at the time The Caledonian was being built, and each ship brought Chinese making for the Victorian goldfields during the year in which the main influx landed at Port Robe. Both of these vessels ended up offshore on long beach - one lost through careless navigation and the other driven aground by a storm of exceptional violence. The latter, "The Koning Willem", was the worst shipwreck ever experienced at Port Robe so far as loss of life was concerned.
Three of the ship's doors were fitted to attics overlooking the Bay, and the other two were also used on upstairs rooms where they still are in use. The original roof of the Caledonian was of split palings, which, at that period was the only material available. When, at a much later date, an iron roof was fitted, it was, for the sake of coolness, attached over the wooden shingles which are still in position.
As, at this early period, there was no hall in existence at Port Robe, it was customary to hold balls and similar functions on important occasions in a large room at the Caledonian. In 1861, the ships, "Alma" and "Livingstone", were in Port Robe to pick up wool for overseas. A ball was held at the The Caledonian to entertain the men from the ships, but neither of them ever left the port. One of the worst storms ever known in the area drove both vessels ashore and they became practically a total loss apart from the wool which was salvaged from the "Livingstone".
The crew of the "Alma" were all saved through a dramatic last minute rescue with rocket apparatus from a cliff top, before the vessel broke up completely.
The Hotel was the subject of a grant of a "Public House" licence to Peter McQueen on 27 July 1858, under the Act Number 1, II Victoria. It was thus the second licence granted at Robe, the first being granted to the Bonnie Owl, on 28 March 1849. It was followed by the "Criterion" Hotel in 1859 and the "Carriers Arms" and the "Newton Arms" in 1865. The licence was taken by Elspeth McQueen in 1869, and it appears that she held the licence with a break of one year in 1871 when HB Dobinson held it until it was transferred by her to Charles Savage in 1881.
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