4. Barrier Boarding House -1888

The Barrier Boarding House started life as the Barrier Club Hotel, built in 1888 by Frederick Reimers.  It was delicensed in 1924 along with a number of other Broken Hill hotels, closed by the License Reduction Board who were tasked with reducing the number of publican's licenses in New South Wales.  

In 1891 twenty shearers held a meeting in the Barrier Club Hotel to ‘form a vigilance committee for the purpose of furthering the interests of the members in the district.’ This was the creation of the Shearers’ Union in Broken Hill. 

In 1900 twelve men met at the hotel and fulfilled a dream: the formation of a club named after miners: Silver City Working Man’s Club. By 1903 the club had acquired its own premises in Argent Street. This club is still operating from the same premises.  

Interestingly in 1901 the wife of former Silverton Mayor John Penrose was mentioned in a divorce settlement as lessee of the Barrier Club Hotel. She received half of the rent as part of the settlement.

The Barrier Boarding House is the only remaining former hotel in Broken Hill made of iron.  

Audio transcript available.