
Sketch by Gifford Eardley of “An old cottage at Fairy Meadow”, (opposite intersection of Cabbage Tree Lane and Princes Highway). The cottage was formerly the Cabbage Tree Inn owned by Thomas Townsend in the 1850s and later in the 1880s George Beadle. It served as Fairy Meadow’s Post Office for many years.
NORTH ILLAWARRA COUNCIL. Tuesday , August 6 1883. Moved by Alderman Ryan – That the Clerk be instructed to write to the Postmaster-General requesting that the name of the post office be changed from “Cabbage Tree” to Fairy Meadow”. The name of the whole locality in which the post office was situated was Fairy Meadow, where as the name Cabbage Tree applied only to that spot where Mr. Beadle’s house stood. Alderman Barker seconded the motion. The name Cabbage Tree did not express the name of the place at all. Some man opened a public house there several years ago, and called it the “Cabbage Tree Inn” just for a name. It would be just as appropriate now to name the whole of Fairy Meadow after the Forest Inn as to continue to call the post office after the old public house alluded to. Alderman Ziems said that though the post office was now named “Cabbage Tree” no person could see where the cabbage tree was. There were none of them about. The Mayor said, it would be quite right to change the name, but it was a great pity there were not more cabbage trees and more good cabbage heads about. Motion carried.

The Cabbage Tree Inn after it closed in the 1960s.

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Categories: Australian Hotels
Is this the same as Andrew Lysaght’s Inn at Fairy Meadows?
No Reg. The Cabbage Tree Inn was located on the eastern side of what is today the Princes Highway, opposite Cabbage Tree Lane. Lysaght’s pub was located at what is today the south-west corner of Lysaght Street and the Princes Highway Highway, on the site of the Wollongong High School of Performing Arts.