Patrick Reardon, who had previously run a produce store, first licensed
the George in 1865. After Reardon’s lease expired in 1874, an auction of the
hotel, including furniture and effects and a beer engine, took place on 28
September that year.The hotel was
rebuilt by architect Sydney W Smith in 1874, and later altered in the 1930s.
The hotel was popular amongst council workers and Board of Works employees and
was notable for having a strong police presence, which deterred bad behaviour!
Before 1984 when the Swans Football Club moved from
South Melbourne to Sydney, the George was
their meeting place after both matches and Monday night training. The George
was the first hotel in South Melbourne, and the sixteenth in
Metropolitan Victoria, to introduce the TAB (Totaliser Agency Board) at the
bar. The GeorgeHotel is one of the few
hotels in South Melbourne that continues to provide
accommodation.
