Renditions of the Blue Tailed Fly.

White Horse Hotel.    Milton

Renditions of the Blue Tailed Fly

Before those hectic gold rush days, early settlers scattered across the Tokomaria District found little use for the Hotel or Inn, as they were frequently called.However, it does appear the first of many hotels erected during the late 1850's or thereabouts was in Milton. Otago. New Zealand.
Mr R.W. Capstick, apparently renowned for his interest in Miltons local affairs, is said to have constructed the White Horse Hotel.  This two story affair was built of local timber, no doubt felled from the native bush that surrounded much of Milton at the time and pit-sawn into workable planks.
In 1864, John Dewe and J.P.Maitland, resident magistrates of Milton at that time, heard applications from R.W.Capstick and Henry Morewitch, who ran the Great Britain Hotel.  They applied to extend closing hours of their brs from 10 pm until midnight.
Your arguments gentlemen, stated the magistrates are not persuasive enough to warrant any change to existing laws at this time.
If only those walls of that first Magistrates Court, were those first hotel licences were issued could talk, I'm sure we would have heard many a far fetched tale.
On the 15th July 1865, the White Horse Hotel was venue for the establishment of the Court of Milton, later to be named Court Bruce.  
The White Horse Hotel's publican R.W.Capstick, along with J.Englis, J.Daniels and C.Tomlinson became founders of Court Bruce and regular meetings were held in the White Horse.  However, it soon became inadequate for the increasing numbers attending.
Later, one of the provinces most colourful characters by the name of Fred Bastings took over the White Horse Hotel and it is said Fred became famous for his renditions of the Blue Tailed Fly.
Fred was said to have been a a keen bowler and played on the Bowling Green opposite the hotel in those days.  He used to recount those close games many a tie across the bar, of course the same story with  a different ending each time it was told.

But the hotel of those early times was more than just a place to wash the dust from one's throat or to doss down for the night.
The Inn was just a public institution and as a public house, it was a place where folk will remember the various clubs, institutions and societies held their meetings.
These days, the Milton War Memorial occupies the site where the White Horse Hotel once held pride of place.
My impression of that old  White Horse Hotel, an important piece of Milton's history will perhaps to some, recall a few colourful memories, handed down from generation to generation.