One Tree, New South Wales

One Tree is a location on the Cobb Highway on the flat plain between Hay and Booligal in the Riverina district of New South Wales, Australia. In 1862 a public house was built there, originally called Finch's Inn and the locality developed as a coach changing-stage and watering-place between the Murrumbidgee and Lachlan rivers. One Tree village was surveyed and proclaimed in 1882, though the location remained as just an amenity on the plain, centred on the hotel.

"One Tree" redirects here. For the American novel, see The One Tree.

One Tree
New South Wales
The partially rebuilt hotel, fenced off
One Tree
Coordinates34°10′S 144°42′E
Established1862
Postcode(s)2711
Location
  • 38 km (24 mi) from Hay
  • 39 km (24 mi) from Booligal
LGA(s)Hay Shire
CountyWaradgery
State electorate(s)Murray
Federal Division(s)Riverina

The existing One Tree Hotel is the second building of that name to occupy the site. The first hotel was destroyed by fire in 1903. The hotel was re-built in the same manner as the original structure (by the provisions of the insurance policy). The licence of the One Tree Hotel was relinquished in 1942 by its last publican, Frank McQuade. The One Tree Hotel is an important historical building, providing a tangible link to the heyday of pastoral settlement in the Riverina.[1][2][3]

The name ‘One Tree’ derives from the presence of a large gum tree on the otherwise treeless plain (called the One Tree Plain). The landmark tree was destroyed by a storm in January 1900.[3]

Structure of the hotel
One Tree Hotel in about 1922

The One Tree Hotel is constructed of split cypress-pine logs, with verandahs on three sides and a hipped corrugated-iron roof. Twelve-paned windows are located between the four panel doors which open along the verandahs. There is a detached kitchen and small weatherboard shed at the rear of the building. The building was an accurate 1903 replication of the original 1862 hotel which had been destroyed by fire. The insurance company, the Australian Mutual Fire Insurance Society, stipulated the hotel was to be replaced with one identical to the original.

The One Tree Hotel was placed on the Register of the National Estate in May 1991.[3]

Literary associations

An alternate name for One Tree was "Hell", and the locality was referenced in Banjo Paterson's poem Hay and Hell and Booligal.[3] An alternate suggestion is that 'Hell' refers to Hells Gate, a property near Maude, between Hay and Balranald.[2]

gollark: We dedicated 1.2EFLOP/s of computing power to evaluation of its regices.
gollark: Regices are the most sentient form of computation.
gollark: Maybe I should have a sign.
gollark: It might be getPosition or something.
gollark: lescitrons is the architect of the Apiaristics Division AI.

References
  1. "One Tree Hotel, Outside Hay NSW". Gday Pubs. Retrieved 1 February 2007.
  2. Sydney Morning Herald article on Hay, NSW
  3. Australian Heritage Database listing
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