The Drunken Admiral
1825-1826: The Drunken Admiral building was constructed. Slate for roof imported from Scotland. The building included four store rooms, two offices, a sample room and a three-bedroom residence.
Initial owner was the Leith Australia Company.
The company’s Hobart agent, Charles McLachlan, who lived in the residence, helped establish the Hobart stock exchange and chamber of commerce, was a director of the Bank of Van Diemen’s Land, and a member of the Legislative Council. His life is worthy of a close look.
Charles McLachlan.
1796: Born in Scotland. As a young man went to the West Indies, where he was employed as a plantation manager or a commercial agent.
1822: He was living in Scotland and obtained a position in the head office at Leith of the Australian Co., newly founded by a group of merchants and shipowners in Edinburgh and Leith with a view to organizing the first regular shipping service between Britain and the Australian colonies.
1824: Charles McLachlan arrived in Hobart Town to take charge. He ran the company successfully until the company was dissolved in 1831-1832.
Under McLachlan the company brought out many hundreds of Scottish settlers, including many artisans. A prominent figure in the Hobart mercantile circle.
1825: He signed the petition for a Presbyterian minister and later became treasurer of St Andrew's Church.
1826: He helped to found the St Andrew's Club, a welfare society.
1827: He helped to found the Mechanics' Institution.
1828: McLachlan was appointed a justice of the peace.
1828-1829: He promoted the Hobart Exchange and of the Chamber of Commerce.
1828: He became a director of the Bank of Van Diemen's Land.
1829: He helped to found and the Agricultural and Commercial Association.
1829: He married Isabella Dick in Sydney, daughter of a Glasgow merchant; they had five daughters and three sons.
1832-1842: He was appointed to the Legislative Council and later served on several boards of inquiry into the colony's monetary problems.
He was described as a little undersized man, of very repelling features, a short, stout gentleman … whose temper was seldom ruffled, or his equanimity disturbed.
1825-1841: He obtained land grants totalling 3450 acres (1396 ha) on the Blackman's River in the Salt Pan Plains, a whaling station at Southport, and several town allotments in Hobart.
1830s: He sent sheep to the Port Phillip District.
1840: He bought land at Geelong.
1840s: He was managing director of the Derwent Bank and the Commercial Bank of Tasmania, both of which he had helped to found in 1827-29.
1842: Moved to London. He lived in some style in Eaton Place, London, where he acted as unofficial agent for Van Diemen's Land.
1855: He died in Melbourne.
1832: Ordnance Corps leased the building. Storage and as a barracks.
1851: The building was in bad condition and handed to the Immigration Association where it was used as a depot for new arrivals.
1851: Irish orphan ships deposited single women there until they received domestic work or a husband.
1880s: Building was a flourmill and warehouse.
1923: Building was bought by Henry Jones and Co.
1978: Building became The Drunken Admiral Restaurant.
Restaurant with wooden décor and full of nautical memorabile.
Focus of the food is seafood. The amazing atmosphere makes the food taste special.
What does the name the Drunken Admiral mean?
1805: Admiral Horatio Nelson was killed in the Battle of Trafalgar. The British won the battle and transported the corpse of Admiral Horatio Nelson back to England in a cask of brandy or rum.
When Nelson arrived back in London, he was well and truly pickled and the sailors had drilled a hole in the bottom of the cask and had drunk all the brandy/rum.
The pickled corpse of an Admiral leads to the phrase Drunken Admiral.
Initial owner was the Leith Australia Company.
The company’s Hobart agent, Charles McLachlan, who lived in the residence, helped establish the Hobart stock exchange and chamber of commerce, was a director of the Bank of Van Diemen’s Land, and a member of the Legislative Council. His life is worthy of a close look.
Charles McLachlan.
1796: Born in Scotland. As a young man went to the West Indies, where he was employed as a plantation manager or a commercial agent.
1822: He was living in Scotland and obtained a position in the head office at Leith of the Australian Co., newly founded by a group of merchants and shipowners in Edinburgh and Leith with a view to organizing the first regular shipping service between Britain and the Australian colonies.
1824: Charles McLachlan arrived in Hobart Town to take charge. He ran the company successfully until the company was dissolved in 1831-1832.
Under McLachlan the company brought out many hundreds of Scottish settlers, including many artisans. A prominent figure in the Hobart mercantile circle.
1825: He signed the petition for a Presbyterian minister and later became treasurer of St Andrew's Church.
1826: He helped to found the St Andrew's Club, a welfare society.
1827: He helped to found the Mechanics' Institution.
1828: McLachlan was appointed a justice of the peace.
1828-1829: He promoted the Hobart Exchange and of the Chamber of Commerce.
1828: He became a director of the Bank of Van Diemen's Land.
1829: He helped to found and the Agricultural and Commercial Association.
1829: He married Isabella Dick in Sydney, daughter of a Glasgow merchant; they had five daughters and three sons.
1832-1842: He was appointed to the Legislative Council and later served on several boards of inquiry into the colony's monetary problems.
He was described as a little undersized man, of very repelling features, a short, stout gentleman … whose temper was seldom ruffled, or his equanimity disturbed.
1825-1841: He obtained land grants totalling 3450 acres (1396 ha) on the Blackman's River in the Salt Pan Plains, a whaling station at Southport, and several town allotments in Hobart.
1830s: He sent sheep to the Port Phillip District.
1840: He bought land at Geelong.
1840s: He was managing director of the Derwent Bank and the Commercial Bank of Tasmania, both of which he had helped to found in 1827-29.
1842: Moved to London. He lived in some style in Eaton Place, London, where he acted as unofficial agent for Van Diemen's Land.
1855: He died in Melbourne.
1832: Ordnance Corps leased the building. Storage and as a barracks.
1851: The building was in bad condition and handed to the Immigration Association where it was used as a depot for new arrivals.
1851: Irish orphan ships deposited single women there until they received domestic work or a husband.
1880s: Building was a flourmill and warehouse.
1923: Building was bought by Henry Jones and Co.
1978: Building became The Drunken Admiral Restaurant.
Restaurant with wooden décor and full of nautical memorabile.
Focus of the food is seafood. The amazing atmosphere makes the food taste special.
What does the name the Drunken Admiral mean?
1805: Admiral Horatio Nelson was killed in the Battle of Trafalgar. The British won the battle and transported the corpse of Admiral Horatio Nelson back to England in a cask of brandy or rum.
When Nelson arrived back in London, he was well and truly pickled and the sailors had drilled a hole in the bottom of the cask and had drunk all the brandy/rum.
The pickled corpse of an Admiral leads to the phrase Drunken Admiral.