Considered to be one of the most significant historical buildings on
the whole New England Highway, this was built as an inn by John
Kennedy, but never licensed. John Stoker, a tinsmith, operated his
business there from 1905, and then his son, Reg, ran a clothing
shop. Note the original cedar windows and doors, and the newly
shingled roof. In 1980, the then new owner
planned to demolish part of the structure, but the NSW Heritage
Council issued a Preservation order to prevent this. Within the
Uralla community a fierce debate erupted, and went on for years.
Given all the "bullets" that were fired and all the hold-ups, the
new Bushranger Motel is aptly named! In 1983 a boarded up fireplace
in this then derelict building yielded up a "treasure chest" of
memorabilia about the Stoker family. "Corporal Cecil Stoker", an
exhibition at McCrossin's Mill Museum, tells the moving story.