76-81 Archer Street Woodford Hotel

Tom Beanland started a hotel on his own land 250m from the Stanley River Bridge. Horse races were held on the river flat in from of the hotel. Jack and Kate McSweeney bought the land and hotel. After the 1893 floods where the water came up to the hotel veranda the McSweeneys moved and built the first Woodford Hotel on the corner of Kropp and Archer Streets. John died in 1897 and Kate continued to run the Hotel with the help of local Police Constable Allen McLean, who she later married. Kate built a new Hotel on the corner of George and Archer Street in 1909 to cater for the demands of the newly arrived railway. It was known as the Woodford Hotel and was leased to J.G. Wilson. Since then many people have been involved with the Hotel including George Carney who did his best to put the town on the map by running some boxing matches, pitting local talent up against boys from Brisbane.  He also built sale yards behind the hotel where cattle sales were held monthly. Another was Jeff and Helen Rowlands who sponsored big woodchop competitions and named the town the Woodchop Capital of Queensland. For over 100 years the Hotel has graced the corner. Now the Woodford Village Hotel has been given a face lift a few years ago and is elegantly facing its future.

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