History

timeline

1853 Thomas Bath

Thomas Bath opens the Ballarat Hotel in June 1853.

1854 Bath's Hotel

Hotel became known as 'Bath's Hotel'

1855 Eureka Stockdale

Eureka Stockade Royal Commission of enquiry into the conflict was held at the hotel.

1856 Council Chamber

Hotel became temporary Council Chamber for Ballarat municipality while new Council offices were built.

1857 New ownership

Walter Craig purchases Bath's Hotel.

1865

American ship the C.S.S. Shenandoah visits Melbourne. The Shenandoah's mission was to enlist recruits for the Confederate Navy and one of those activities was a Shenandoah Ball, held in the main dining room of Craig's hotel.

1867 Craig's Stables

Noted Australian Poet and horseman Adam Lindsay Gordon enters into arrangement with Craig to conduct the stables at Craig's hotel. Craig's stables had a capacity for 40 horses.

1870

Craig dreams of Nimblefoot winning Melbourne Cup and of his own death.

1870

Craig's death in August 1870 and his horse Nimblefoot wins the 1870 Melbourne Cup.

1873 Hotel sold

Hotel sold to George Hawthorn and later to J J Goller.

1875 New ownership

Hotel purchased by J H B Speering and within 2 years sold to Fred Wilkins.

1875

The Melbourne Racing Club was formed by a group of prominent local squatters at a meeting convened at Craig's.

1877 George Thompson purchases Hotel

New owner George Thompson.

1881

Prince Albert Victor and his younger brother George visited Craig's and the goldfields.

1883 New ownership

William Bentley purchases hotel.

1889 Extra Label

The western portion of the hotel in Bath Lane was added for kitchen and servants quarters.

1890

Work began on the corner of Bath Lane & Lydiard Street to replace Bath's two storey hotel of 1853 with the corner tower section which was in harmony with Walter Craig's south wing. It took 8 months to complete at a cost to the hotelkeeper William Bentley of £10,000.

1895

Mark Twain visited Ballarat on a world speaking tour and stayed at Craig's.

1901

The hotel underwent extensive alterations and every room was redecorated in the latest ornate fashion.

1903 Hotel sold

E L Bentley sold hotel to Stephen Seward.

1907 Hotel up for auction.

Hotel put up for auction (rented at 1,200 pounds per annum).

1908 Dame Nellie Melba

Dame Nellie Melba noted Australian opera singer performs from Craig's balcony of the Reading Room.

1926

Craig's became sewered.

2010

The "New" Craig's is completely restored and fully re-opened with 41 rooms, 5 banquet and meeting rooms, historic bar, coffee shop and atrium Gallery Restaurant.

2021 Hotel sold

Hotel sold to Black Rhino Group

“THE DREAM CUP OF 1870”

During its long history, the Melbourne Cup has been postponed only twice, in 1870 and in 1916. The Spring of 1870 really was dismal. In September the city was deluged by six inches of rain, and again in October by a further 4.5 inches.

Trainers had a most difficult task to give their horses sufficient work in preparation for the V.R.C’s spring meeting. Over 100 horses were stabled near Flemington, but for weeks on end the running track was under water. On Tuesday, 27th October 1870, the VRC stewards inspected the course at Flemington and announced that the spring meeting would be postponed for one week. The steward’s decision turned out to be a wise one. The weather picked up well and on both Derby and Cup Days, the going was surprisingly good.

The main effect of the racing on Derby Day was to bring the Hotham Handicap winner, Nimblefoot, from long odds to a prominent place in Cup discussions. Nimblefoot was an aged gelding, whose form over the previous three years had been so poor, that the handicapper had assessed him at only 6.0 for the cup.
Ballarat publican Walter Craig had paid $200 for the horse and had sent him back to his native Tasmania in the hope that a long spell would bring him back to his early form. It was from there that Nimblefoot came back to do his Cup preparation under the care of the prominent Flemington trainer, W. Lang.

By post time for the big race, the attendance was estimated at 30,000. 28 runners lined up for the cup, and the big field included the winners of the previous three cups.

The race provided one of the most controversial finishes in cup history. At the final turn Lapdog and Nimblefoot broke clear, and all the way down the straight had the race between them. Inside the distance Lapdog led by a half-length, but young Day on Nimblefoot, got the last ounce out of his mount, and as they hit the line only inches separated them. Most onlookers were certain that Lapdog had just lasted long enough, but the Judge gave the race to Nimblefoot. The time of 3.37 was a new race record.

Host to poets, princes and prime ministers over its 160 year history, the hotel is a true icon of the Victorian period. Now, after 5 years extensive restoration, the magnificent accommodation, dining, meeting and banquet facilities are re-establishing Craig’s as the finest boutique heritage hotel in the region.

THE DREAM

About the four months before Cup time, Walter Craig dreamed that he was watching the running of the Melbourne Cup, and was amazed to see it won by his own horse “Nimblefoot”. He walked over to the jockey and while congratulating him, he noticed that the man wore a mourning band of black crepe, “Why are you wearing that?” Craig asked. “Oh” replied the jockey “the horse belonged to Walter Craig who died three months ago”.

The morning after the dream, Mr Craig told his story to several friends and it was even recounted in the Melbourne Age of Monday, 9th November 1870, the day before the Cup.

Come Melbourne Cup day 1870, excitement in Ballarat centred around Craig’s Hotel. About four o’clock in the afternoon a telegram came for Mrs Craig. When she read it she burst into tears. Nimblefoot had won the Cup. His rider wore a black armband, for Walter Craig had died early in the morning of the 17th August 1870.