History

The Rollonin Cafe was inspired and created by the original owner's Tony & Renata Ryan from their old Historical Cobb & Co Coaching Station house that Tony restored after many years of neglect, which is situated next door to the famous Rollonin Cafe. There is a lot of history associated with this building, in days gone by it was used as a Cobb & Co Coaching Station from mid to late 1800's. There was a hive of industry in those days surrounding the Coaching Station with people being transferred from the station to the Inn ready for next leg of their journey south, on the Cobb & Co Coach.

Tony & Renata wanted to keep the "1800's" era alive and built the popular Rollonin Slab Hut Cafe for everyone to enjoy.

The property was sold on 2 April 2024, and is now owned by David.

The Land was bought by Joseph Newton in 1839 and was built for an Inn and Brewery in 1840 by Joseph Newton and it's first licence was issued in 1841 to Thomas Underwood and was called the "Queens Arms Inn". John Moses owned the Inn from 1843 till 1852, John was brother to Moses, Moses from Yass. 

The Inn built of convict bricks with 6 different id's, corrugated iron roof covering the shingles, with a fireplace in the ceiling which are still in the roof to this very day. It comprised 3 parlours, five bedrooms, side bar & verandah. The rooms where lofty, spacious and well ventilated. Out the back was a large kitchen, 3 bedrooms, grooms bedroom, 2 store rooms, brick oven, shingle roof, verandah, cellar, stables, hay loft, 2 loose boxes and 2 carriage houses plus another 2 stalls, shed for agricultural implements store room, slab shed and 2 acres of a variety of fruit tree's securely fenced and planted.

Martha Ryan purchased the Inn in 1852 and named it "Rose Thistle & Shamrock" and it went to Auction in 1876 when the Bowning Railway opened. We have been informed that the famous Bushrangers Ben Hall and John Gilbert took the patron's hostage until they drank with them at the Rose Thistle & Shamrock Inn.

In 1876 the Inn was sold as a private residence to Thomas Robertson and was in the family till 1914, The Masters then purchased the property with their 2 Children Sidney & Ivy. Ivy purchased the property from her bother Sid and lived their until we bought the property in 2000.

History of Bowning

Bowning is a small village situated 15kms from Yass on the Hume Highway. Hume & Hovell mentioned the landmark of Bowning Hill in their 1824 journal. The village of Bowning was one of the earliest settlements in the district, developing as it did because of its location on the Port Phillip Road, now known as the Hume Highway.

The village of Bowning grew during laying of the railway in 1876, serviced town for supplies during building of Burrinjuck Dam. On the left as you enter Bowning from Yass is the Catholic Church. The stone for this church was laid on 24th October 1909. A short distance is St James Anglican Church, built in 1879.

Other historic buildings include the "Troopers Cottage" on Red Hill Road and the old Cobb & Co Coaching Station on Bowning Road. The Cobb & Co Coaching Station was built in 1840, which is now owned by the Rollonin Cafe owners as a private residence and is situated next door to the cafe. The local school was amongst the earliest established schools in inland New South Wales. It was founded in 1849 and is situated opposite the Cafe.

Bowning Railway Station was built in 1876 and closed in 1992. The Commercial Hotel was built in the 1870's, on the outskirts of the village is Bowning Hill with an altitude of 796 metres above sea level.