Publicans' licenses guide
The earliest licensing records in the State archives date from 1798 Bench of Magistrates records. Other early records can be found in the records of the Judge Advocate's Office and the Colonial Secretary.
Historical Overview
Under Act 6 Geo IV no. 4 (1825) and later Acts, certificates for the issue of licenses were granted by a Justice of the Peace in the Court of Quarter Sessions. Publicans' licenses were issued from and registered in the office of the Colonial Treasurer upon the granting of the certificate by the Court.
Licensing Districts were proclaimed under the Licensing Act of 1882. Under the same Act Licensing Courts were established in each Licensing District.
In 1919 the Licenses Reduction Board was constituted under the Liquor (Amendment) Act. The Board was to reduce the numbers of publicans' licenses in New South Wales by selecting the public houses to be closed and fixing compensation payments. The Licensing Courts could still transfer licenses and in special cases, issue new licenses without reference to the Board.
The Licenses Reduction Board was reconstituted by the Liquor (Amendment) Act 1923. The Act also reconstituted the Licensing Courts, which were still held in each Licensing District. One tribunal now controlled all matters relating to the issue and reduction of licenses. In 1982 the Licenses Reduction Board was replaced by the Liquor Administration Board.
Publicans' licenses
Care should be taken when using the below indexes as there may be some duplication and some indexes are incomplete.
Online indexes
Publicans' licenses index 1830-1861
There are c.20,000 entries to search that covers the period 1830-1861. Note: for the years 1849-1852 where we don't hold copies of the licences check newspapers on Trove for details
Colonial Secretary's Papers 1788-1825
Arranged by name and subject this is the most comprehensive index of early NSW settlement
Colonial Secretary Letters Received, 1826-1894
This select index, compiled by Joan Reese, Linda Bowman and Aileen Trinder, indexes the Colonial Secretary's main series of letters received for the years 1826-1894. The Colonial Secretary was the pre-eminent figure in public life during much of the 19th Century. The papers of this office are among the most valuable sources of information on all aspects of the history of the Colony and the State of NSW.
Series | Title | Date |
|---|---|---|
Card index to publicans' licenses This series cover the electoral districts Bathurst, Byron, Cootamundra, Cumberland, Goulburn, Maitland, Murray, Murrumbidgee, Namoi, Newcastle, Northern Tableland, Oxley, Parramatta, Ryde, St. George, Sturt, Wammerawa and Wellington. It does not include cards for the central metropolitan area. There is a separate card for each establishment which provides the following information: electorate, licensing district, sign (name), situation, licensing history, name of licensee and information such as orders and repairs concerning compliance with the licensing laws. Some cards also include information about mortgages and lessees. This series is digitised and searchable online via the State Archives Catalogue. | 1920 - 1937 |
Offline indexes
These offline indexes can be accessed via the State Archives Reading Room.
Reel | Title | Dates |
|---|---|---|
Pubs and Publicans in the County of Cumberland NSW to 1850 [CD Index] Compiled from a variety of sources by Ken Knight & Allan Rost for the Society of Australian Genealogists (SAG) | 1796 - 1850 | |
Reels 1355-1356 | Index to publicans licenses This is a partial index only. Reel 1355 is indexed by name of hotel. Reel 1356 is indexed by name of licensee. | June 1830 - June 1847 |
Reel 1357 | Index to Port Phillip publicans' licenses This partial index consists of two alphabetical sequences - by name of hotel and by name of licensee | 1839 |
Reel 1374 | Index to certificates of publicans' licenses This index is incomplete, and covers the names of licensees only | 1 July 1857 - 31 May 1860 |
Publicans in NSW, 1887 This index was prepared by students of the Western Sydney University and is available in book format via the Reading Room | 1887 |
Certificates and butts
Series | Title | Dates |
|---|---|---|
Butts of publicans' licenses The butts contain details of the licence number, the date of issue, the name and address of the licensee and sign of hotel, period covered and amount of duty received. This series is indexed in the Publicans' licenses index 1830-1861 | Jun 1830 - May 1849 | |
Certificates for publicans' licenses These certificates contain the details of: name of district, date of justices' licensing meeting, name of proposed licensee and type of licence issued, situation of Public House and sign, names and residence of sureties for licensee and signatures of justices.Please note this series also includes some miscellaneous licences such as those for confectioners, billard packet and steam packet licences. This series is indexed in the Publicans' licenses index 1830-1861 | 1 Jul 1853 - 30 Jun 1861 |
Printed lists
Series | Title | Dates |
|---|---|---|
Printed lists of licenses issued The lists have been extracted from the New South Wales Government Gazette and bound in chronological order. They record the name of licensee, location and sign of house, period of licence and from 1907 assessed annual rental. This series can be viewed in our Reading Room on Reel 1243 or COD 533. | 1866-1882, 1895-1900, 1907-1910 | |
NSW Government Gazettes Between 1866 and 1922 lists of publicans licenses were published in the New South Wales Government Gazette. A return arranged by District and published by the Treasury, was usually published in the August-September issue of the Gazette. Returns of licenses granted at Special Meetings prior to or after the Annual Meetings were also published. NSW Government Gazettes are digitised and searchable online via Trove's Newspapers & Gazettes. | 1866-1922 |
Licensing Papers
Series | Title | Dates |
|---|---|---|
Licensing papers [Metropolitan Licensing Court] These papers are a record of daily proceedings in the Court. They deal with applications for new licenses and certificates of registration, transfers of licenses, complaints, and disciplinary proceedings against licensees. | 1911-1981 |
Licensing papers for regional licensing districts may be found within the depositions of the local Court of Petty Sessions / Local Court.
Search the State Archives Catalogue for the relevant Court to view our holdings (i.e. "Parramatta Court of Petty Sessions")
Plans and specifications
Metropolitan Licensing District
Series | Title | Dates |
|---|---|---|
Plans of licensed premises: hotel plans [Metropolitan Licensing Court] Applications for liquor licenses under An Act to remodel the law relating to publicans and other persons engaged in the sale of liquor, 1881 (45 Victoria Act No 14) and subsequent Acts were to be accompanied by a plan or sketch of the premises. The plans which comprise this series are largely architect's plans of proposed hotels, and major and minor alterations and additions to existing hotels submitted for approval to NSW Licensing Courts in the Sydney Metropolitan District. This series is listed and searchable via the State Archives Catalogue. | 1882-1959 | |
Licensed premises specifications, reports and correspondence for Sydney [Metropolitan Licensing Court] This series consists of reports, specifications, correspondence and other papers concerning construction, additions, alterations, rebuilding proposals and demolition notices relating to licensed premises in the Sydney Metropolitan area. There are also police reports, license applications, transfers and license removal notices. This series is listed and searchable via the State Archives Catalogue. | 1890-1958 |
Regional licensing districts
We hold only a small number of hotel plans from regional licensing districts. Many of these series are unprocessed and/or incomplete. Please contact us for assistance in searching these records.
Series | Title | Dates |
|---|---|---|
Plans of licensed premises [Wagga Wagga Licensing Court] | 1923-1956 | |
Plans of licensed premises [Urana Licensing Court] | 1925-1938 | |
Plans of licensed premises [Newcastle Licensing Court] | 1885-1955 | |
Plans of licensed premises [Singleton Licensing Court] | 1924-1954 | |
Young Plans of hotels | ||
Yass Plans of hotels | ||
Murrumburrah Plans of hotels | ||
Berrima Plans of hotels submitted in connection with licensing | 1907-1932 | |
Mudgee Plans of licensed premises | ||
Miscellaneous plans of hotels Includes small number of plans for the following locations: Albury Austinmer Balyney Cooma Forster Gilgandra Nowra Orange Port Stephens Wellington Woodburn Yamba |
Additional sources
Additional sources may also be found in our catalogue under agencies including:
- Attorney General
- Colonial Secretary
- the various Courts of Petty Sessions and Licensing Courts
- Licenses Reduction Board
- Police
- Supreme Court
- Surveyor General
- Treasury
Noel Butlin Archive Centre, Australian National University
The Noel Butlin Archive Centre holds the business and company records of Tooth and Company Limited, a former major beer-producer in NSW and the owner of many hotels and breweries across the State.
Email: archives@anu.edu.au
Phone: +61 2 6125 2219