_{By MICK ROBERTS ©}

ONLY ruins remain of a well-known Tasmanian landmark on the road between Hobart and Launceston.

The Halfway House at Antill Ponds was a two-storey stone hotel, which serviced travellers and residents with accommodation, meals and liquor for 102 years.

The only real reminder of the important role the once busy coaching inn played in the development of Tasmania sits silently on the roadside opposite where it traded.

A simple freestone memorial marks the spot near where William Hawkins met his fate over 150 years ago. On the plinth the inscription reads: “in memory of William Hawkins, who was accidentally killed near this spot on December 19, 1861, on the 43rd year of his age. – D. Herbert.”

Hawkins, an overseer, was delivering goods to Charles Drable who kept the Halfway House. The cart he was driving had no reins.

Approaching the inn, the mare refused to stop, and Hawkins climbed along the cart’s shaft to catch hold of the harness, when he either fell or jumped. He ran by the side of the horse before falling forward.

Hawkins tried to roll out of the way of the cart, but a wheel passed over him. The Halfway House hostess, Ann Drable was the first to reach the overseer, and was unable to save the unfortunate man.

Originally known as the White Hart Inn, the public house traded about halfway, along the old coach road, between Launceston and Hobart from 1830 to 1932.

John Presnell established the White Hart Inn along what was the original main road between Hobart and Launceston at Sorrell Springs in 1822. However, after the main road bypassed Sorrell Springs, he removed his hotel business about five kilometres to the north-west to Antill Ponds in 1830.

John Presnell, his wife, Eleanor, and young family arrived from England on the Midas on 13 January 1821. He worked as a blacksmith in Hobart before granted 300 acres of land at Sorell Springs on which he built the White Hart Inn.

The origins of “The White Hart” are rooted in the personal symbol of King Richard II (1377-1399), whi adopted the white hart, or stag, as his badge. Many inns and public houses across the United Kingdom and Australia were named after this royal symbol, with the oldest dating back to the 14th century.

A licence to sell spirits, wine and beer was granted to 36-year-old John Presnell in 1822, but following the subsequent realignment of the highway through St Peters Pass and the bypassing of Sorell Springs, he acquired land at Antill Ponds to build a replacement inn.

The new White Hart Inn located on the new main road between Hobart and Launceston was completed in the early months of 1830.

Presnell pulled-down the first White Hart Inn at Sorrell Springs and had it re-built at Antill Ponds to again catch the travelling public and supply them with refreshments and accommodation. His new inn comprised seven rooms, and was valued at £500, together with a six stall stable and other outbuildings.

Presnell advertised his new business venture on 16 October 1830 in the Hobart Town Courier:

MR. JOHN PRESNELL BEGS leave to inform his friends and the public, that he has obtained a license for the White Hart Inn, Antill Ponds, on the new road to Launceston, and has laid in a stock of the best wines and spirits, and trusts, by strict attention he may merit the good will of all travellers; has good stabling and paddocks for cattle and sheep, and from his moderate charges hopes, he may meet the support of travellers.

The new inn featured a changing station where hard-driven coach horses were changed for fresh animals. However, Prenell’s stay as host at his new inn was short.

John Presnell, 45, died at his inn on 20 May 1831. The Hobart Town Courier reported on June 25 1831:

DIED – On 20 May last, Mr John Presnell of the White Hart Inn, Antill’s Wells. He has left a wife and five children to deplore his loss. As a father, kind and affectionate, as a husband, always kind, his loss will be deeply felt by all his family.

Following John’s death, his widow, Eleanor, continued to operate the White Hart Inn, with the help of her son and also, likely, with the help of elder daughter Christiana and her husband Thomas, John Jr. and younger daughter, Eleanor.

The family advertised the old inn and farm at Sorrell Springs for sale in 1832. The Colonist and Van Diemen’s Land Commercial and Agricultural Advertiser reported on Friday 30 November 1832:

TO be Sold by Private Contract, a FARM containing 835 acres of good and well improved land, situate in Methvin District, with a well finished weatherboarded House, consisting of ten rooms, formerly used as an Inn, and known by the name of the White Hart, Sorell Springs ; kept during several years by Mr. PRESNELL, and situated fifty-six miles from Hobart Town, and l½ from the main road, thence to Launceston. Also two large gardens, well stocked with fruit trees, and in a high state of cultivation, and a beautiful stream of water forming the front boundary of the pre-mises. A large Barn on the opposite side of the road from the house, men’s, hut, good sheep yards with every convenience for washing sheep, stables, foal houses, and other suitable out-buildings, and two paddocks, one containing thirty acres, and the other sixteen acres, completely fenced in, and made secure for depasturing sheep, &c. — For further Particulars, and to treat for the same, apply to Messrs. CARTWRIGHT and ALL-PORT, Solicitors, Hobart Town.

The Presnells continued as hosts at the White Hart Inn at Antill Ponds until 1835 when it was leased at £140 per annum to David and Ann Solomon. Solomon hosted the pub until his death in 1839.

Edward Greenbanks took over the inn during 1841 and changed the name of the business from the White Hart to the Halfway House. In 1843, the license was transferred from Greenbanks to Charles Barlow.

Barlow hosted the pub until 1848, when the license was transferred to Denis Bacon. Bacon was host when a fire in 1852 completely destroyed the inn. The Hobart Colonial Times reported on Tuesday 23 March 1852:

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE. — Yesterday the Halfway House between Oatlands and Antill Ponds was destroyed by fire. About ten in the morning the Cook had been clearing the fire from the kitchen oven, and put the scraper (in its heated state) on the shingled roof which ignited, and caused the sad catastrophe that has plunged Mr. Bacon and his family in much distress. A portion of the furniture and stock was saved; when the Launceston coach arrived at the usual hour, nothing but the stone walls of the building were standing; the settlers were gathering from all directions, but too late to arrest the progress of the flames, which were aided by the boisterous state of the weather. A detachment of the Oatlands’ Police was forwarded to the spot, to protect the rescued property. We understand the building (which belongs to Mr. Hamilton of Campbell Town,) was insured.

Bacon advertised for tenders to rebuild the landmark public house in April 1852, and by September he had the new Halfway House up and trading. Bacon hosted the pub until 1854, when Joseph Barwick took-over its license.

The days of the coach came to an abrupt end at the Halfway House during the mid 1870s when the railway arrived at Antill Ponds. The railway between Launceston and Hobart sounded the death knell for coaching.

The pub entered a new era from this time, and became a favourite with train crews, railway staff, the travelling public. The Launceston Examiner reported on Saturday 25 December 1875:

The Main Line Railway Company are making a northern terminus off Cimitiere street, Launceston. Two trains are running daily each way, namely, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon, but the passengers by the latter trains have to stay for the night at Antill Ponds, the Halfway House, resuming the trip in good time on the succeeding morning.

Only the highway separated the Antill Railway Station and platform from the front door of the hotel, a distance of about 20 metres, when the rail line between Launceston and Hobart officially opened in 1876.

The old inn continued trading for another half a century before a decision was made to have the Halfway House delicensed in the 1930s. The pub had developed a reputation for illegal trading and the Licensing Courts eventually decided that the license was “not required”.

The Hobart Mercury reported on Saturday 31 December 1932:

ANCIENT INN ON MAIN ROAD DELICENSED

“TIME, GENTLEMEN!” – One of the oldest hostelries in the State, Half-way House, Antill Ponds, so named because of its equal distance between Hobart and Launceston, will closed its doors to the public on December 31, as a result of the decision of the Oatlands Licensing Court that the hotel was not required. Its passing as a public-house awakens indefinable sentiments, in view of its historical associations.

The old coaching inn became a guesthouse from 1832, and was often a venue for social and sporting events.

The Launceston Examiner called for the protection of Halfway House in December 1946, highlighting its historical importance. The editorial stated: “a large crack has appeared. Will something be done at once to save these priceless links with the past from further deterioration?”

During 1947 the annual conference of the Country Women’s Association made a suggestion to purchase the Halfway House for the organisations use. However, it seems the suggestion was never adopted.

In a letter to the editor of the Launceston Saturday Evening Express on 2 November 1946, A. B. Ewart expressed her concern over the future of the old inn:

Recently it was my privilege to knock on the door of the half-way house, Antill Ponds. Something I had wanted to do these many years. A kindly person invited me in and showed me the beauty of the old place, somewhat sadly referring to the fact that the lovely old cedar has been done over with stain, and even green paint. I was told that [bushranger] Martin Cash had once held up the place, but because the Lady of the house was ill in bed he only took a few bottles of wine and left, making no disturbance — a gentleman outlaw, one would say? As I looked around I thought if only the pewter mugs and other things of these days could be put back on the old shelves, all polished and shining as of yore, and “mine host” to tell the yarns and doings of those days, how interesting it would be. There is much money being spent on the modern, luxurious hotels for the comfort and interest of the tourist, but none can compare in beauty and interest with the wonderful old stone buildings we are so sadly neglecting. I wish Tasmanians would wake up to the fading beauty we have in our own little island.

During the 1960s and 70s the building fell into disrepair and eventually was demolished in 1975.

The following story, from an unnamed newspaper clipping dated July 1975, was posted to The Tasmanian Midlands – a pictorial history Facebook Group by Steph N Andrew Farrelly:

The historic half-way House, at Antill Ponds, one of the best known landmarks in the Midlands, is being demolished. Mrs J. U. Burbury, of Sandy Bay, Gobart, bought the property some years ago, intending to restore it. The National Trust was consulted, but believed the building to far gone for restoration. Mrs Burbury has now decided to demolish the building, but good use is being made with the materials. The timber has been taken over by the National parks and Wildlife Service to be used in the historic mill buildings being restored at Oatlands. The Public Works Department will use some of the stone for construction of a toilet block on the rest area at St Peters Pass, between Oaklands and Antill Ponds. According to some records. an inn was built by John Presnell, and was doing business as the White Hart from 1830, but by 1843 its name had been changed to the Half-way House. It was gutted by fire in 1852, but was rebuilt by a man named Alf Glover. Apparently the Half-way House received a visit from Cash, Kavanagh and Jones for “free drinks”. A few years later, the Half-way House became a changing place for Page’s Coaches, travelling between Hobart and Launceston. Passengers and mail were transferred to another coach at this point – 60 miles from Hobart, and 63 miles from Launceston. It was a major stopping place for trains and passengers often had lunch there.

_© Copyright, Mick Roberts, 2025.

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Categories: Australian Hotels, Publicans, Tasmania hotels

Tags: coaching