Bluebell Inn (est. 1829) 26 Somerville St. Sorell Tas. 7172 Ph 03 6265 2804  Fax  03 6265 3880 Fine Dining and 4 Star B & B

The Blue Bell Inn was built by William Currie and was licensed to him on 3rd October 1829. The original Blue Bell was said to contain seventeen rooms in single story including a ballroom that was remodeled in 1852 by William Smith at a cost of approximately £600. The ballroom had cerise coloured walls hung with valuable oil paintings. The ceiling centerpiece was a chandelier that held three dozen candles and was complemented by four dozen horsehair upholstered chairs, which had been imported from England.

In the early days of Sorell's history the Blue Bell was the center of social life in the district and remained this for over half a century. It is richer in history than any other building in the municipality.

In yester years Sorell boasted seven Inns, resulting in fierce competition, subsequently, William Currie fell upon hard times and was forced to mortgage the Blue Bell to David Hoy, a ship builder from Port Arthur for the sum of £250. William Patterson took over the lease for a time, William Currie again took over the Blue Bell in 1836 and continued until 1839.

History does not record what happened next, but on 16th July 1840, an advertisement appeared in the Hobart Town Courier as follows

"Inn and stabling to be Let - To be let for such a term of years as may be agreed upon. These commodious and well established premises known as The Blue Bell Inn, in the town of Sorell. The house is frequented by all the respected inhabitants of the district who have occasion to visit the township. The situation is the best in Sorell, the Post Office, where the Magistrate sits every Tuesday, being next door; and there is no other house in the township containing the same accommodation for all classes of customers; there is a detached kitchen and storeroom with lofts for bedrooms; the stable is extensive and there is an extensive yard, well fenced in the secure gates; and the garden in a high state of cultivation, and well stocked with every variety of fruit trees. The proprietor will give every encouragement to a respectable tenant, and none other need apply. To a respectable industrious couple capable of conducting such an establishment, this affords an opportunity of well-doing rarely to be met within the colony. Apply to the proprietor.
Sorell 15th July 1841. W. Currie."

As a result of this advertisement Jonathon Watson leased the Blue Bell in 1842 and it appears that he held the license until 1844 when William Currie again assumed control. Currie was still not able to extricate himself from his financial difficulties so he entered into a further agreement with Thomas Featherstone of Sorell - himself a publican and the Rev, John Robertson, a Presbyterian Minister of Bothwell to transfer the mortgage from David Hoy. Thomas Featherstone took over the lease of the Blue Bell in 1847 and remained as licensee until 1852. The mortgage transfer was affected on 14th April 1849.

In 1853 the Blue Bell was sold to William Gard who remained as licensee until 1856 when the Blue Bell was leased to John Smith for a period of twelve months when William Gard took over. Nothing eventful happened until a fire destroyed the Blue Bell on the 5th March 1863.

An inquiry was held into the cause of the fire, with Dr Robert Blyth, Richard Crocker, George Marshall, George Henry Gatehouse, John Talbot Coram, Matthew McPhee, Joseph Allanby and Cleo Crocker as the board of inquiry. This was held on the 5th and 7th March 1863 but could find no cause for the fire.
The Blue Bell Inn (ii)

After the fire in 1863 in which William Gard lost everything, he set about rebuilding the Blue Bell, to this end, he raised a mortgage of £2,000 from William Lindsay.

Legend has it that a daughter of William Gard married William Parker who, besides being the publican of the Rose and Crown at Lewisham, was also a stone mason by trade. He rebuilt the Blue Bell for his father-in-law, this time in brick and stone and of two-storey construction.

William Gard, however, was unable to overcome the financial difficulties that arose as a result of the fire and the property passed to William Lindsay. Lindsay subsequently died and in the statement of his estate by his trustees, Thomas Fisher, Richard Willing and John Brent, The Blue Bell passed into the hands of Edward Gard for the sum of £300 on 17th August 1866.

Edward Gard, like his predecessors fell on bad times and was forced to raise a mortgage from Elizabeth Eady, which was secured 5th October 1866 for the sum of £180. By virtue of default, Edward Gard was forced to transfer the mortgage from Elizabeth Eady to William John James which was effected on the 23rd of February 1869. William John James departed this life on or about the 23rd December 1869, intestate, leaving Arthur Edwin James, an infant of one year and nine months his heir at Iwa. Henry John James, being Administrator of the estate.

In an order from the Supreme Court dated Tuesday the twelfth day of November 1872, the property passed to John Henry James, Administrator for the infant Arthur Edwin James in respect of the mortgage. In November 1872 Edward Gard was able to raise money from John Henry Peacock Oldmeadow to redeem the Blue Bell, which he did on 25th August 1874.

Business did not come up to expectations and the Blue Bell was once again mortgaged, on this occasion to Richard James Lucas, solicitor of Hobart Town. In default of this last mortgage, Lucas sold the Blue Bell to John Frances Dore, a police constable of Sorell on 9th September 1907. On a deposit with the balance of the purchase price on first mortgage held by Mrs J FTravers and others who eventually became owners by default.

The Blue Bell was then sold to Mrs Sadie O'Brien on 29th December 1936. Mrs O'Brien together with her sister, Mrs Ingram then opened the Blue Bell as a maternity hospital. Mrs Ingram being the wife of the resident doctor.

During the late 1930's and early 1940's many of the children of Sorell first saw the light of day in the Blue Bell. In less than a decade the hospital was closed up, part of the ground floor was let to Mr & Mrs Claude Hean and the other part was let to the Cornelius family.

When the second Blue Bell was built in 1863, a ballroom was incorporated in the structure which continued to be used as such until a Public Hall was built. During the first World War, the ballroom was used as a drill hall when many initials were carved on the mantelpiece.

In November of 1945, the property was purchased by Mr Ephraim Alan Newitt from Mrs O'Brien. The Newitt family lived in the house until November 1985 when it was purchased by Alla & Michael Ward. 


Prior to purchase by the Wards, all outbuildings had been demolished and much of the land sold. The house sat on 1192 square metres of land. When the Wards took over the Blue Bell Inn, it was rundown, but very sound. The foundations were as good as the day they were put there. Every surface, floors, ceilings, walls, skirting, doors and surrounds were painstakingly stripped of many coats of old paint to reveal convict bricks, Huon pine, Oregon, Blackwood, and Cedar timber. The Blue Bell has been restored both inside and out. The neglected garden, with careful planning and planting has become a beautiful and tranquil place with a variety of fruit trees and many flowers, too numerous to mention. A high fence was built to provide privacy. The 'old world' charm of the garden further accentuated by a beautiful old willow tree that has been listed by the National Trust.

On the 16th July 1984, the Blue Bell Inn became classified under the National Trust of Australia.

The Blue Bell Inn became once again an inn in 1992.

Operators being:

Heather and Peter Boulot (1992 - 1997)

Jill and Les Schultz (1997 - 1998)

Marlene and Barry Gooding (1998 - present)

Sorell, the gateway to the south-east, is 26 kilometres east of Hobart on the Arthur Highway. The district was first explored in 1805 and was called Sorell in 1821 after the then governor of Van Diemen's Land, Lieutenant Governor William Sorell. 

In the mid 1800's, Sorell was the main grain growing area in Tasmania, and now it is known for sheep, dairying and mixed farming, along with tourism. There are many historic buildings in the area, including three sandstone churches and the Bluebell Inn. Sorell is also host to an annual bushranger festival each November. 

The original Blue Bell Inn was built in 1829 and was then known as the "Bluebell Inn of Scotland". This was a single storey wooden building that boasted 17 rooms and a ballroom and was the centre of social life in the district. After a fire in 1863 destroyed the original building, the Blue Bell Inn was rebuilt of convict brick and sandstone as a two-storey building. A ballroom was incorporated upstairs in the new building. The construction included the use of huon pine, oregon, blackwood and cedar timber. 

The building has had a very interesting history. It has been an inn, a maternity hospital, private residence, and in WW1 the ballroom was used as a drill hall. In 1984 the Blue Bell Inn was classified under the National Trust of Australia. An old willow tree in the garden is also classified by the Trust.

The present inn now consists of 5 guestrooms, all with private facilities, the ballroom is used as the guest lounge. The Blue Bell Inn is a no smoking establishment.

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Bluebell Inn (est. 1829) 26 Somerville St. Sorell Tas. 7172 Ph 03 6265 2804  Fax  03 6265 3880 Fine Dining and 4 Star B & B