The Swan Hotel in Richmond has a deep connection to its historic suburb, to its locals and to its famous football club, the Tigers.

The Swan Hotel is living history. For 134 years the hotel on the corner of Swan and Church Streets has been at the heart of the suburb, central to its social life and witness to the growth and fluctuating fortunes of the district around it.

Its location – and its engaged publicans over the years – meant that since it opened in 1890 (construction began in 1889) it was one of the pioneering “public houses” of the area, attracting a wide range of visitors, and joining a vibrant and growing Richmond community.

By the time the Swan Hotel opened, Swan Street was already a busy commercial centre, often attracting traders not able to afford the high rent in the city. Designated as a road reserve in Robert Hoddle’s Crown survey of 1837, a Yarra City Council heritage study tells us, making it one of Melbourne’s earliest significant thoroughfares.

Traders were establishing themselves on Swan Street as early as the late 1830s. Just a year after Melbourne was established as a city in 1835 allotments on the south side of Swan Street began to be sold, with allotments on the north side sold from 1839.

By 1857 a good number of commercial businesses had been established in Swan Street, particularly at the west end, including butchers, drapers, fruiterers, tailors, shoemakers, hairdressers and hoteliers, the survey tells us.

Public houses were being built along Swan Street to cater for the growing population in the district. Among the early hotels was the Swan Inn after which the street was named, and the predecessor on the site of the present three-storey Swan Hotel.

By 1901 there were 37,824 people living in Richmond, and the role of hotels was becoming increasingly important as community hubs.

The Swan Hotel was a well-known, popular “house”, attracting locals from all facets of the community, whether it was a drink in the public bar on the way home from work at the local tannery or butcher shop, or more formal events based around sporting clubs, especially the Richmond Tigers.

We know quite a lot about life inside the Swan Hotel in those early days. Newspaper reports of the time take us inside the hotel, providing a fascinating insight into the building, the people who owned the pub and those who visited.

On 21 September 1901 – just a year after the Australian states and territories had become a Federation – the Richmond Guardian reported on an event held in “the spacious lodge-room at the Swan Hotel on the occasion of the invitation smoke night tendered to the members of the Richmond Football Club by Mr Geo [George] Male.”

The report gives us great detail on the evening. “The room was prettily draped with flags in all colours and all the available accommodation was taken up by the guests who comprised not only members of the Richmond Football Club but many prominent residents, both of Richmond and Prahran.”

The article noted the hospitality of licensees Mr (George) and Mrs Male.

“Mr Male, intent upon doing things properly, had engaged some splendid artists to take part in the musical portion of the programme.”

The Swan Hotel that night also offered some musical comedy, a detailed review of which was provided by the reporter. The gathered experienced “Mr Snell bringing down the house with his two comic songs, given with great effect.”

One was a song called ‘Adventures of a Tack’ which succeeded, the writer noted, in “especially convulsing the audience, owing to the very natural manner in which the performer imitated the feelings of the various individuals who had the misfortune to come in contact with the sharp-pointed article in question.”

On 26 June 1909 the Richmond Guardian reported that “the spacious billiard room at the Swan Hotel has been crowded nightly during the past week… Some fine billiards were shown on Wednesday when W. Moon… beat the well-known local cueist W. Cook.”

Publicans played an important role in the social activities of the district in the late 1800s and early 1900s. They were well-known, highly regarded and often influential community members.

Tom O’Brien was certainly in that category. From an article in The Herald on 17 October 1912 we learn that

O’Brien bought the Swan Hotel – “a three-storey structure in brick and cement” – for 8,000 pounds.

O’Brien was a young man, just 27, when he bought the pub. He was soon to become a much-admired local identity with an interest in the growth of the district.

One report noted O’Brien’s community spirit. On 19 October 1912 the Richmond Guardian reported: “Since becoming established in Richmond, Mr Tom O’Brien, who has held the licence of the Swan Hotel for the past 18 months, has become convinced of the stability and probable continued advancement of the district as a business centre.”

O’Brien worked hard to provide a welcoming place for locals as well as sports and other clubs. His pub was in the heart of Tigerland at a time when loyalties in football were local and fierce.

In 1913 O’Brien was elected vice-president of the Richmond Football Club and was deeply involved in its management. He joined the club on their first interstate visit, to Tasmania in 1912, quite a journey for a football trip in those days.

He regularly welcomed the football club’s players and officials to his hotel, including in his upstairs billiards room which is regularly mentioned in reports and in Richmond must have been the place to be.

The Richmond Guardian on 10 May 1913, under a headline “Footballers entertained: Smoke night at Swan Hotel” reported on a club meeting after a match.

“There was a fine representative gathering of Richmond sporting people at the tea and smoke night tendered by Mr Tom O’Brien (vice president) to the players and committee of the Richmond Football Club last night at the Swan Hotel.

“Hungry from the hard and unlucky game, the Richmond players did full justice to the many good things that marked a fine repast served in the best style…”

The report said after the meal “the company re-entered the big upstairs room to find the tables rearranged and set for the smoke concert”.

The football club’s chairman E.J. “Ted” Cotter was a cooper working in Sutherland’s Vinegar factory in Wellington Street Richmond. As a politician he held the State seat of Richmond for 37 years.

Ted Cotter told those gathered at the Swan Hotel that night he “hoped that the business community would give the club something like the measure of support that was accorded the senior club in other suburbs… He knew of no better advertisement for a city than a good football club. (Applause).”

The report shows the esteem in which the hotel’s owner was held. “The toast of the host was proposed by Mr W.A. Maybury who said that in Mr O’Brien they had found the type of man they wanted, the supporter they had been looking for. He had come to Richmond a comparative stranger but had proved himself a thoroughgoing sportsman with a genuine interest in the club. ‘He is now one of us,’ concluded Mr Maybury, ‘and he will stay there.’ (Hear hear).”

The report went on: “Mr O’Brien thanked the proposer for his kind words. He was in the game for the game, and not for what he could get out of it.”

The report added a note about O’Brien’s aims for his community.

“He had now settled permanently in Richmond and the interests of Richmond were his interest. It was his endeavour to help [with] Richmond’s interests and he was seeking the assistance of other business people in that direction.”

All sorts of clubs and groups gathered at the Swan Hotel through these years. The Richmond Guardian on 10 April 1915 reported on a “game of pyramids” held “at this well-known Richmond room”.

The local cricket club, the Mascottes, gathered there often. On 5 June 1915 the Richmond Guardian reported the club “will hold a smoke social next Saturday 12 June at the Swan Hotel. A good programme is being arranged and the presentation of trophies won during last season will take place.”

By 1931 the Swan Hotel was owned by Carlton and United Breweries Ltd. On 12 May 1931 The Age reported that the brewery applied for permission to make “fairly extensive” alterations to the premises.

These included “enlargement of the bar, the installation of a bottle department, the conversion of two bar parlours into one large lounge and a new stairway to the first floor where a club was to be turned into two bedrooms.” Permission was granted.

There have been other improvements over the years, but one thing has never changed: today The Swan Hotel remains a central part of life in Swan Street, and its connection to the football season is as strong as ever, with a big screen to watch the games while enjoying some pub classics from the restaurant.

Much loved owner Tom O’Brien was a legend of The Swan Hotel and a kindly host welcoming people through his doors at the turn of last century.

Today, The Swan Hotel continues to play an active role in Richmond’s social scene. Whether you’re here to enjoy a classic pub meal or catch the latest Richmond Tigers match on the big screen, The Swan Hotel remains a beloved local institution, where community, sport, and history converge.