Sent in by Wendy Cochrane: She says “We have this photo from my partner Rob Ivey’s family. Rob’s great Grandparents Jacob (Jack) and Isabella (Nee McGregor) Alford ran the “Golden Rule” hotel in the late 1890’s.” The photograph and story are reproduced with kind permission from Rob.
The ‘Golden Rule Hotel’ at Lennonville – some times referred to as the ‘The Ten Mile.
Photographs of Lennonville are few and far between so this wonderful photograph is most welcome.
Rob’s great Grandparents, Jacob (Jack) and Isabella nee MCGREGOR Alford, ran the “Golden Rule” hotel in the late 1890’s. The following is some information from the newspapers of the time:
Murchison & Day Dawn Gazette – Provisional publicans license – Jacob Alford – The Ten Mile – 10th June 1897
Publicans license for several months prior at Yoweragabbie – 30 Nov 1897
Building now complete, general licence application – 11 Dec 1897
Publicans general license for the sale of liquor in the house and appurtenances situated at the Ten Mile, Lennonville, containing two sitting rooms and two bedrooms exclusive of those required for own use. For use as a inn and public house – Emily Spicer rented from J Alford. Feb 1899
Golden Rule Hotel J Alford Fermented & Spiritous Liquors
Aug 1899 – Murchison & Day Dawn Gazette – License application Jacob Alford Ten Mile near Lennonville. Built of wood and iron, containing 1 sitting room, 1 parlour, 1 dining room, 4 bedrooms, bar, kitchen and outhouse. (exclusive of the rooms required for the use of the family) and which is licensed under the sign of the “Golden Rule Hotel” owned and occupied by me and held under transfer from Mrs Spicer and which I intend to keep as an inn and public house. I have held the license for two years in the said district. Given under my hand this 17th Day of August 1899.
Dec 1899 – Renewal of license “Golden Rule Hotel” Jacob Alford – Granted.
20th Nov 1900 – Peter Miller applies for “Golden Rule” license under transfer from Jacob Alford.
By 1919 Jacob & Isabella Alford were in Bilbarin (near Ardath in the Wheatbelt) he opened the first shop in Bilbarin. They had two daughters, Ilene May Alford (born Lennonville 1899) who married James William FOSS, and Vera Alford (born Fremantle 1904) who married George Edwin IVEY. They had two other daughters who died as infants, Cissy born 1902 and Violet born in 1901.
Jacob (Jack) died at Bilbarin in 1922, Isabella died in 1920 at Narrogin Hospital. They were married on 30 October 1897 in Perth, so around the same time as the “Golden Rule” was taken up. Rob’s father was Ross Alford Ivey, son of George Edwin & Vera (nee Alford) Ivey, the Ivey family came from the Goldfields and Ross’s parents lived at Southern Cross, Rob and his four brothers lived at “Yindi” when young, which is 12 km from Kurnalpi, near Kalgoorlie when he was young as his parents Ross & Helen Ivey owned “Yindi” until the early 1970s.
Rob’s grandmother Vera who was born in 1904, was only 16 when her mother died and 18 when her father died. She lived with her sister and brother-in-law after her parents died, and later married George Ivey. So not much family history was passed down, and Rob’s father Ross Ivey was born (1932) after his Alford grandparents had died, Ross passed away only 5 months ago. We have no photo of Jacob or Isabella, they could be in the above hotel photo but we have no idea if they are or not.
Jacob Alford died on 12 Jan 1922, his death cert states he had been in W.A. 30 years, and 26 years in Victoria. Isabella Alford (Nee McGregor) died on 21 June 1920, 24 years in W.A., 25 years in Victoria.
Map showing Lennonville
Lennonville is an abandoned town in Western Australia near Mt Magnet. Lennonville was gazetted in 1896, after gold had been found two years earlier at the location by prospectors Lennon and Palmer.
At the peak of its existence, at the turn of the 20th century, the town had a population of 3,000 and five hotels, outperforming nearby Mount Magnet. By 1909, however, the town was already in decline and, after a huge fire swept through the main street of the town, a general exodus began. Today, the most predominant reminder of the town’s former glory is the railway platform.
Moya Sharp
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