Register of publican's and other licences - Treasury Office (GRG45/13)

The fourth Act passed in Council at Glenelg on 2 February 1837 was 'An Act for the granting of Licenses, the regulating the sale of Wine, Beer, and Spirituous Liquors, for the Prevention of Drunkenness, and the Promotion of Good Order in Public Houses.'

Under this Act, a person who sold more than five imperial gallons of liquor required a general publican's licence at a cost of 25 pounds per year. The 1837 Act also contained a provision to charge 50 pounds for a licence. Licensees agitated to amend the proposed liquor licensing laws on the grounds of unfair duties imposed on spirits, wine, and tobacco and for cheaper licences. In December 1838 it was announced that the Queen, with the advice of Her Privy Council, had disallowed the Act.

In 1839 was an amended version of the 1837 Act, which provided for a reduced annual fee, was enacted. The legislation allowed for three classes of licence, namely: A General Publican's Licence, A Wine, Ale, Beer and other Malt Liquors Licence and a Storekeeper's Licence that allowed the holder to sell wine, spirits and other fermented liquor in minimum quantities and for consumption off the premises.

Pursuant to the 1839 Act a publican was required to 'keep his name at length and the words Dealer in Wines and Spirits legibly printed in letters not less than three inches in length on some conspicuous part of his licensed house; Have a lamp containing at least two burners 7 to 10 feet from the ground, well cleaned and trimmed, alight from sunset to sunrise, throughout the year; and Receive the traveller and his horse, or the horse of a traveller not becoming a guest at the house, or any corpse which might be brought to the public house for the purpose of a Coroners Inquest'. (1)

Public houses were licensed on application at a licensing meeting, usually a bench of a magistrate and several honorary members. The role of the bench of magistrates was to assess the application of a prospective licensee and to grant, renew, transfer or refuse a licence. The Colonial Treasurer actually issued the licence on payment of the prescribed fee. (2)

This series comprises 3 volumes, used to record the details of various licences issued from 1837 to 1872.

Volume 1 records Publican's licences exclusively for the period 1837 to 1849 including the following information: name, place, description of license, sureties and date. From 1840, licences were also issued with a number and the name of the public house, as well as the type of license being recorded. Sureties were no longer included. From March 1842 the cost of the license was also recorded.

Volume 2 records the following:

- Publican's licences, 1853 - 1861
- Auctioneer's licences, 1847 - 1861
- Attorney's Certificates, 1853 - 1858
- Storekeeper's licences, 1853 - 1861
- Wine and Beer licences, 1853 - 1858
- Pawnbroker's licences, 1853 - 1858
- Appraiser's licences, 1854 - 1858

Volume 3 records the following:

- Publican's General licences, 1862 - 1872
- Storekeepers licences, 1862 - 1872
- Attorney's Certificates, January to May 1862
- Pawnbroker's licences, March 1862
- Appraiser's licences, 1862 - 1873
- Wine licences, 1865 - 1872
- Storekeepers' Colonial Wine licences, 1870 - 1872
- Cart licences, 1871 - 1872
- Pack licences, 1871 - 1872
- Servant's licences, 1871 - 1872

The volumes include entries for women.

Arranged by type of licence, then chronologically. Volumes 2 and 3 contain an index at the front.

For later licences see GRG67/39 - Adelaide District 1894 - 1908

See also GRG67 for the minutes of the Licensing Court. For hotel plans see GRG67/34.

See GRG 5/15 (back of volume) for "Report on conduct of hotels in the City of Adelaide" 1852 - 1854.

Sources:

(1) http://www.southaustralianhistory.com.au/liquortrading.htm, accessed 15/4/2016.
(2) http://www.southaustralianhistory.com.au/liquortrading.htm, accessed 15/4/2016.