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Yk Drive Tours

This walk was put together by the Historical Society and Friends of Yackandandah. Commencing at the Post Office at the top of the hill in High Street, the walk wanders down the north side of the street to the bottom pub, upon which the walk crosses over the street and walks up the left hand side to the top pub and the memorial gardens.

Brochures for this walk are available at the Tourist Information Centre, and selected shops.

1    Post Office. Yackandandah's earliest public building was originally a small timber structure, where services were provided to miners and other customers on the verandah. Half of the present building was constructed in 1863, with a slate roof. Additions were made in 1887, for sub treasury purposes. Earlier this centery a huge chestnut tree in the back yard was used by the town's children for their supply of chestnuts.

2    State Bank. Built in 1929, substantially intact inside.

3    Buildings between the Post Office and the Athenaeum served various purposes last century. A stationer and a coach builder had residences, and one dwelling was the home and hospital for local doctors. E Arnold had a garage, Ruby and Jo Johnston ran a dressmaking service, and Alex Priestly worked as a bootmaker. Alex's shop burnt down in the 1920's, his cobbler bench is in the Bank of Victoria Museum.

4    Athenaeum. Built in 1878 to house 3000 books for the local book club. The social and intellectual centre of the town, there were two reading rooms, a few stuffed birds, and a boomerang or two. A full sized slate billiard table was installed in 1899. Note the Temple composition of the facade.

5    Timber Shops. Built about 1865, like many structures in the town, originally with no verandah. Used for some time by Andrew Nette's boot shop with his workshop next door.

6    Old Yackandandah Times Building, 1870. The Times was produced from 1890 to 1934. The printing presses in the back rooms. Note cement rendered facade.

7    Bank of Victoria. The stone building began in 1860. The cottage at the back was an original street building of the 1850's. Banking ceased in 1893. Thereafter Thomas Haig, tailor, and familly, worked and lived here until 1969. Now owned by the Yackandandah Historical Society.

8    Ray Riddington's Gallery. Timber, 1907. For many years one of the town's largest stores. Internal timber lining and shelves intact. A back opening onto Jubilee Lane for loading. Note the spandrel panels at the ends of the verandah, and pressed metal parapet.

9    Jubilee Lane.

10    John Donelly's Hardware. Timber around 1900. The verandah was a later addition. G Denny's Bootshop for many years. Note the decorative columns.

11    Grocers Shop. Local granite, 1857. Has a large cellar. The verandah was a later addition. Built by Mr Welshman who sold his first store site to the Bank of Australasia.The earlier trading was carried out beneath the colonnade. Denny's General Store for many years.

12    Built for the Bank of Australasia, with local granite, 1859. Was used until a larger building was completed on the south side of High Street. Jack Sealy's Saddlery, 1880's. Centre window a later alteration.

13    Butcher Shop. Local red brick,1870. Rebuilt by Mr Jack Lorimer. Other butchers included Mr Stephens and Jack Lack.

14    Timber fronted brick building, 1859. Once the Royal Hotel, locally known as Irvine's. Later a barbers and confectioner's shop.

15    Milk Bar. Local red brick, 1866. Originally a billiard room, with a sign on the parapet above the verandah. Run at one stage by Charlie Lack, and very much an asset to the town.

16    C.F.A. 1986. After several fires in the town, on this site was erected a fire bell, with a building to house equipment. The present structure draws deliberately on 19th century building elements, eg. roof form, verandah, paint colours.

17    Mr McDermott's shop and undertakers premises were here in 1919. Thornley Hall's timber yard and builders also operated from this site.

18    Yackandandah Hotel. A single story brick hotel in the time of licensee Martin, 1919. A sucession of licensee's since.

19    Borrom Garage.The first building here was Samuel Cunningham's Store. Then came the Commercial Hotel, 1863, the top of which was a dance floor. This burnt down 20 years later. It was then Louis Meurant's carriage showroom.

20    Cottage built around 1919 by Mr T Hall. Purchased by Education Department for headmaster's residence in 1924. Now privately owned. Note the the symatry of construction, typical of older residences.

21    Shops. Probably the original bakery of Louis Stephens. Used by Mr G Wray, solicitor, for many years. Mr Wray lived in the brick house near the bridge at the time.

22    Bank of Australasia. The bank opened for business in 1857 in a building across the road. It bought this site from Mr Welshman, the first storeholder in the new town., and this building was completed in 1878 at a cost of 1584 pounds.

23    Clarence Hotel. Licensed 1854, delicensed 1915. Present building constructed 1885, used for a time as a carpenters shop by C E Hall, and later converted to shops. Note the high pitched hipped roof.

24    Garage and Newsagency. Brick with timber fronts, built around 1900. Now substantially altered. Occupied at one time by Clune's Bootmaker, nearest the lane, Reichardt's Saddlery in the centre and Plummer's Store on the west end. Following Mr Reichardt's death, the then empty shop was joined with Clune's to make the garage. Mrs Stiles occupied the newsagency for some time, selling lollies, toys and books.

25    Was an empty block. Earlier this century Mr Croaker had a wheelright's shop on this site. Mr J Cole, a blacksmith, also had a shop here at one time.

26    Currently a modern Motel. It was on old timber construction built around 1900. A blacksmiths foundry existed here. For a time the building housed an ice works with a cold store for rabbits.

27    Bakery. Timber construction around 1880. Original Scotch oven still in use. Note the splayed entrance, timber stallboard and stop chamfered verandah posts.

28    Pharmacy and Dwelling. Timber, about 1890, and used continually as a chemist shop since. Original timber shop fittings and counter. M S Rome and B J Wilksch were early chemists. Note bullnose verandah on house, straight verandah on shop.

29    Milk Bar and Restaurant. Brick with double shop fronts, about 1868. J Falk, watchmaker occupied this building for some years. First site of Haig's General Produce and Fancy Goods. An earlier timber shop on this site was occupied by Isaacs, tailer.

30    Wildon Thyme. Timber around 1910. Original shopfront, note the stepped parapet.

31    Memory Lane. Known as Dean's Store. Built by Mr Roper in 1866, using local red bricks and originally a slate roof. Next owned by J Haig, grocery and general goods, and then by Mr Ramsey in 1925 and 1926. The latter operated a drapery on one side, groceries on the other, with millinery upstairs. Orders were delivered by horse and wagon. Note the arched windows with lambs tongue mouldings.

32    Star Hotel. Earliest license on this site to Mr John A Wallace, 1855. This brick building built by James Cardwell, 1863. Ceramic tiles are an alteration.

33    Memorial Gardens. Rotunda and gardens constructed after World War 1. Wrought iron fence forged locally in Meurant's Foundry. Once the site of a large timber building, the Waterloo Hotel. Licensed in 1854, it operated until it burnt down in 1915. Coach and mail centre, agency and rooms for many businessmen.

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