Former Australia Arms, Trevor

Link to French translationFormer Australia Arms, Trevor

This inn, now called the Aussie Rooster, was built in the 1860s by Moses Evans, a local man who had returned to the area after making his fortune in the Australian gold rush. It’s believed that he left for Australia in 1851 and returned about 10 years later, having lived in Melbourne and then Boulder (Western Australia) before striking lucky in Ballarat (Victoria).

He invested much of his fortune in the Trevor area, mainly to establish a silica brickworks. This was known as the Australia brickworks and operated for over a century, providing employment for generations of local people. Silica was brought to the site by an aerial ropeway from Garth mountain (north-west of the Aussie Rooster).

In 1888, it was reported that Moses Evans had discovered gold in Flintshire. Experts appointed by the Bank of England measured the gold and silver yielded by the ore. The Crown granted Moses Evans the right to work 100 acres for gold and silver.

In 1881, legal action was taken to improve hygiene behind the Australia Arms, where there were also eight cottages. When the local Sanitary Inspector first visited, eight pigs were being kept in the pub’s yard. Two privies emptied into ash pits near the cottages’ back doors and had not been emptied for some time.

Benjamin Roberts, landlord of the Australia Arms, found himself in court in December 1894, charged with being drunk in his own pub. Magistrates gave him the benefit of the doubt. Four months later, he sued a Llangollen grocer after injuring himself by falling over a sack truck outside the grocer’s shop. He had been hurrying for the 9.23pm train. His bill for consulting a doctor was 21 shillings. He was awarded 22 shillings.

Postcode: LL20 7TN View Location Map

Website of the Aussie Rooster (Facebook)

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