Tory's Hotel
We all know the iconic 'Tory's Hotel' in the centre of Kiama, but did you know that it is the oldest continuously operating business in Kiama? The licence was appointed to Irishman Jimmy Barton and his wife Elizabeth on 6 April 1853, originally for 'The Fermanagh'. (Two other inns in town predated the Fermanagh, although they have not survived.)
'The Fermanagh' was named after Jimmy Barton's birthplace of Fermanagh County in Northern Ireland. During the early years of Kiama's European settlement, there were a lot of people from Northern Ireland living here, so 'The Fermanagh' was a welcoming, familiar place.
Jimmy came to Australia in 1841, aged 19, in the hope of a better life. On arrival in Sydney, Jimmy spent his first few years driving cabs around Sydney Town. He often ran into trouble with the law and made quite a few enemies around town, to the point where they tried to get rid of Jimmy and his cab. Jimmy ignored all this and continued to drive his cab, until he met a destitute 24-year-old Elizabeth Armstrong, also from Fermanagh, and married her in 1847.
After marriage, Jimmy decided to quit cabbing and become a publican. His first licence was for the 'Odd Fellows Arms' in Sydney Town. In 1850, Elizabeth and Jimmy moved to Kiama, where they purchased a number of properties and land. This was where he built 'The Fermanagh Hotel', on the corner of Shoalhaven and Terralong streets.
The Bartons continued to live in Kiama until 1862, when they moved to Queensland. The licence of 'The Fermanagh' was sold to Henry Crozier in 1860. The Fermanagh was later demolished, in 1889, after George Tory bought the hotel and licence, and rebuilt the current building we now know as 'Tory's Hotel'.