Fruitless Fruitlands

Speargrass Inn is a beautifully restored historic hotel now operating as a cafe with separate B&B accommodation. We’d hoped to enjoy the cafe on our way back home on Saturday. The district where Speargrass Inn is located is called Fruitlands and we found the cafe had closed for the winter hence my title ‘Fruitless Fruitlands’.

According to the cafe’s website the district was named Fruitlands “after an abortive attempt at fruit growing in the frost prone area.” Prior to being named Fruitlands the area had a succession of other names – Speargrass Flat, Limerick and Bald Hill Flat.

The Speargrass Hotel was established in 1869 and served the many gold miners who were in the region during the gold rush period.

Nigel just came up with this witticism:  “We went to the inn but they were out”.  Hahaha! Thought I’d share that 🙂

Photos taken by Liz on 02 June 2018

Speargrass Inn, Fruitlands

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In the photo above, this building was originally the stables for the hotel but was subsequently converted to a private dwelling.

Text and Photos by Liz; Exploring Colour (2018)

27 thoughts on “Fruitless Fruitlands”

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  1. Pingback: Speargrass Inn: Garden – Exploring Colour

      1. We think its cold in the BOP but we really have no idea. We’ve had a week of -1 starts but the sun has shone and double figures reached later in the day. I don’t envy you the temperatures you’ve been having. Here’s hoping winter will be short!!

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        2. I lived in ‘the stables’ about 1984-1991 ish(I was 9 when we left ) my parents planted most of the trees around that building my mum worked at the restaurant across the road (then called the Fruitlands gallery) ask a kitchen hand and gardener. I loved when it snowed in the winter, but do remember times when there was no water as the pipes had frozen.

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        1. Such a lovely thing to say Jean and it put a big smile on my face as I read it to Nigel! Likewise, and I have noticed that you’ve done a new post so I’ll enjoy that while I have a cuppa!

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  5. Another magnificent old building being put to good use, in season of course! This wagon is a lovely old relic too. Your photos of the frosted trees and grasses are beautiful. Enjoyed the wit from Nigel’s noggin! Thank-you!

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    1. Thank you Ellen and I’m glad you enjoyed the imagery. When they’re open its very nice and cosy inside and a lovely place to be. The whole district is gorgeous with old stone and cob houses and buildings, some restored and some quietly crumbling away among the trees. Nice fields and pastures. Climate can be fairly extreme. A few paddocks further along is a monument to miners from the 1860s who stayed up in the high country for too long and got caught in terrible winter weather. Most of them perished. Can’t finish on that sad note but the feeling of history in this district is quite palpable, and it feels a very special place to visit or drive through.

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  6. The photos are very effective indeed, beautifully conveying that cold grey day with its muted shades. It looks as though it’s very cold indeed just now over in NZ.

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    1. Its freezing down south here! Fortunately in Gore we’re not getting the fog and right now its wonderful and sunny, but a very chilly start in the mornings with weeping windows and hard frost. Frost on the southern side of the house doesn’t melt away even on a sunny day. Thank you for your lovely comment!

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  7. Points for Nigel! Glad you were laughing when you weren’t getting refreshment.

    Very nice images, Liz. I especially like the wagon with the frosty tree and grass clump. I can imagine the bumpy ride on those wooden wheels and the driver perched on the flat bench seat working across that fruitless land.

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    1. Oh, Nigel came up with that in the comfort of home while I was writing my post hahaha! But we were happy enough at the time despite disapointment, both absorbed photo-ing things. We just had to wait a bit for ‘tea’ until Roxburgh and then stopped again a bit further at Millers Flat. The wagoners and coachmen were a tough breed indeed. Glad you enjoyed the photos! At some stage there’ll be more pics of that frosty tree – it was fabulous!

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