Criterion Hotel & General Store

The Criterion Hotel was purchased by W. F. Morrisey from J. J. Cuddihy in 1912, with Mr. Morrisey remaining Licensee until at least 1916. In 1912, L. H. Symes was the proprietor of the General Store.

On the night of 18 August 1924, the Criterion Hotel and General Store were completely destroyed by fire.

The fire was well established when it was first noticed in the store, and seemed to have originated somewhere in the centre of the building.

Fortunately, a group of men installing telephone lines were camped nearby and were soon on the spot to assist. They, and the residents, formed a bucket brigade to attempt to save the hotel, but as the store was only 18ft from the hotel, they were not able to stop the spread of the fire.

Flames soon broke out in the ceiling of the hotel, a wooden building with 16 rooms, and boarders evacuated with their belongings into the rainy night in their night clothes.

The cause of the fire was unknown.