The rebuild of the iconic Conargo Hotel has started.
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Two months after a construction certificate was issued and almost seven years after the historic hotel was destroyed by fire, a concrete slab for the main part of the hotel has been laid.
Work is also continuing on the front facade and front verandah, with a concrete slab for the rear verandah still to come.
The historic hotel was destroyed by fire in November 2014 and the rebuild is being pursued by two sets of brothers — Charlie and Bobby White who purchased the hotel’s land and liquor licence in 2015, and Michael and Paul Lodge whose father Neville Lodge owned the hotel from 1956 to 1980.
Michael said there is no set timeline for the project, as they work to an undisclosed budget, but said they hope the hotel will be opened by next year.
He said the weather conditions last week had slowed progress a little, but that work should ramp up to full scale again from this week.
‘‘We’re working on supporting the existing facade, with steel columns to support it from behind,’’ he said.
‘‘We’re also re-engineering the front verandah, although we’ve had to put a variation to Edward River Council.
‘‘Council’s preference is for a skillion verandah, but I would rather keep the existing bullnose verandah.
‘‘There is 102 cubic metres of concrete in the slab that’s down and we still have another slab for the rear verandah to come.
‘‘We’re also talking to local bricklayers, and we expect there will be 20,000 (bricks) in the whole lot, as well as some steel work.
‘‘The brickwork in the existing facade is very weak, so we’re looking at cavity brick which is a stronger alternative.’’
The proposal for the the pub includes a lounge area, function room and bar area.
Michael said while it is intended the appearance of the hotel will be as true to the iconic image of the Conargo Hotel as can be, the structural elements will be much improved.
‘‘She’ll see me out,’’ he joked.
The Conargo Hotel has a long history, and was originally built as the Conargo Billabong Hotel.
In March 1867 it was licensed to David Rogers, the son-in-law of William McKenzie who started the village’s first hotel, the Conargo Inn, in 1858.
The two hotels were situated about 100m apart.
In February 1917 the Licensing Board considered Conargo too small to sustain two licences.
Rogers owned both buildings at the time and chose to keep the Billabong because it was in a better state of repair than the original Conargo Inn.
In 1868 the Billabong Hotel was leased to Robert Pyke, but in 1885 reverted back to Rogers.
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