Bulleen Pound - site of the first Upper Yarra Hotel
In 1854, John James became the first Pound Keeper in Bulleen. In 1859, he was succeeded by David Bell, who leased
land between Union Street and the Yarra where the Pound was located. The Templestowe Township was surveyed in 1852 and blocks
offered for sale during the next few years. In 1857, the Pound was re-located to the corner of Ruffy and Foote Streets,
and later moved to the Council Depot at the end of Blackburn Road. The old Pound site became as the "Services Park"
in the 1960s.
Bell's Bulleen (Upper Yarra) Hotel
1852 David Bell built the first hotel of this
name on land leased from the Govt, in Templestowe Rd. It was originally known as the Bulleen Hotel.
It was a single level stone structure and was ultimately replaced by a new hotel built by James Finn in 1872.
Finn’s Upper Yarra Hotel.
This was built by James Finn in 1872 adjacent to David Bell's property, opposite present
day Thompson's Rd, and was known as the Upper Yarra Hotel. It was a well-patronized
stopping place for miners on the way to the Anderson’s
Creek Goldfields. It lost its licence in the 1920s and gradually became dilapidated and was burnt down in
1967. The hotel was a famous landmark in the district which had a picturesque charm attracting artists and
photographers.
1872
James Finn replaced the original building with a new hotel on an adjacent block. The
character of James Finn did much to make the "Upper Yarra" part of the life of the district.
A cairn built with bricks from the hotel marks the position of the Upper Yarra Hotel.
