YELP

Thank You for this. I am looking for information related to hotels in North and West Melbourne up to 1905. To date I have 152 hotel names (some hotels changed names)within this Hotham district. I am making a list of publicans, and am trying to garner photographs of these hotels and any information related to them between the earliest hotel (which to date appears to be 1853 - the North Star) and the closure of many of some of these hotels around 1905.
I note with interest that some people have posted snippets stating that an ancestor was affiliated with a hotel in the North and West Melbourne district and would be appreciative of any information related to the hotel and these persons - particularly to the period up to 1905 (but later would also be nice).

I've put together quite a few Licensing lists for the other states but not Victoria.
For an initial list, you need to look at the licensing registers. Public Records Office Victoria
Yes! they're from 1853. Before that, the Clerk of Petty Sessions handled applications and transfers. A lot did not have names as such were just refered to as 'Mr. Mack's Inn or Mrs. Ryan's Inn.
Once you have the publicans' names I'm pretty sure we can help you with some history.
The Inn's were also used as polling places, so there's another way of tracing them before 1853.
Here's some in NORTH MELBOURNE
Artillery Hotel
Ayrshire Hotel
Beehive Hotel
Bignell's Hotel
Black Prince
Edinburgh Castle
Kilkenny Inn
Lincoln Inn
North Star Hotel
Retreat Inn, near Pentridge (is that too far up)
Royal Hotel
Stratford Arms Hotel

zoom this map of Melbourne Hotels 1870 I found it very interesting. (framed it would make a nice gift)

Thank's for the tips - I have made a trip to the Public Records Office and mean to return to continue wading through the Licensing Lists.

There are a couple of Artillery Hotels - there was an Artillery Hotel, in O'Connell Street, Hotham and there is mention of a Royal Artillery Hotel, in Queensberry Street, Hotham. Given the streets are fairly close they could be one and the same - however, there are identifications for both places during the same period.
The Ayrshire Hotel operated by that name from 1854 to 1869, then became the Clare Castle, The Rock of Cashel eventually being closed in 1904 when it was the Queens Arms Hotel.
The Beehive Hotel appears to have operated from 1854 to 1879 becoming the Butchers Arms Hotel in 1880.
Bignell's Hotel was in Cardigan Street, Carlton, hence out of the Hotham area.
The Black Prince commenced in April in 1855 in Curzon Street.
The earliest I have found to date for the Edinburgh Castle is April 1855 - it appears on the James Kearney 1855 map.
The Kilkenny Inn is out of the Hotham district, as is the Lincoln Inn (although in Queensberry Street it is at the eastern end out of the district).
The North Star so far in my search is the earliest where publican William Robertson declared himself open on the 1st January 1853 in The Argus.
The Retreat is way up north (relatively) far out of the Hotham zone.
There is a Staffordshire Arms Hotel from 1865 but there is no Statford Arms Hotel.

These are the ones I am most interested in at present (but am very open to any information of the Hotels of Hotham - present day North & West Melbourne area):
Aryshire Hotel - John Stirling (publican) - 1853 (earliest date mentioned found to date)
Cavan Hotel - Thomas Stephen - 1853
Empire Hotel - John Fitzgerald 1853
Lallah Rookh Hotel - John Kennedy - 1853
Mona Arms Hotel - Daniel Corteen - 1853
North Star Hotel William Robertson - 1853
Parkside Hotel - Robert Newstead - 1853
Royal Hotel (Flemington Road) - Charles E. Coates - 1853
Royal Hotel (Victoria Street) - William C. Conroy - 1853

Beehive Hotel - Frederick Michel - 1854
George Hotel - William Halliday 1854
Glenmore Hotel - Richard Cantwell - 1854
Land of Cakes (an unusual name for a hotel, wonder if it was misheard) - George Burns - 1854
Mansion House Hotel - 1854
North Melbourne Hotel - Alexander Short - 1854
Victoria Hotel (Victoria Street) - William Halliday - 1854

I couldn't get the Melbourne Hotels map link to work - but I think I know the one you mean. As it is Melbourne CBD area (apart from a couple in now West Melbourne) they are unfortunately out of the Hotham area.

Thanks for the help - please keep me in mind if you come across something

Just noticed the direct link doesn't work for the Melbourne's hotels 1870
Click view online
Interesting to note the legal drinking age was 12.

Scotland is 'Land Of Cakes'. The name first given by Robbie Burns, because they are famous for their cakes.

Yes the stratford Arms was in Drummond street, that's Carlton.
Here are all Publicans' Licence applications for Melbourne 1859. There are some in Leveson-street, I thought that was Nth. Melbourne.

Thanks for the tip on the 'Land of Cakes' - didn't know that. But makes sense now.

From the link I confirmed the following - thanks:
Brighouse, John, Royal Park, Howard-street
Cleghorn, James, Caledonian Hotel, Jeffcott-street
Clarkson, William, North Star Hotel, Abbotsford-street
Dowling, Thomas. Empire Hotel. Errol-street
Gallpen, George, Haymarket Hotel, Flemington-road
Johnston, James, Canada Hotel, Queensberry-street
Kyle, Archibald, Cavan Hotel, Queensberry-street
Kennedy, Morgan, Edinburgh Castle, Courtney-street
Kennedy, John, Lalla Rookh, Queensberry-street
Laffen, James, King's Arms, Queensberry-street
Murray, George, Tam O'shanter, Lothian-street
Murray, John, Constitution Hotel, Lothian-Street
Morris, James Nall, Ayrshire Hotel, Chetwynd-Street
Mendel, Henry, Black Prince Hotel Curzon-street
Nutter, Edward, Hotham Arms, Leveson-street
O'Connor, Patrick, Mansion House Hotel, Stanley-street
Ryan, Rody, Loughnan Castle, Leveson-street
Richardson, Richard, Royal Hotel, Victoria-street
Stirling, John, Beehive., Hotel, Blackwood-street