Handmade nail from the Boydtown Seahorse Inn
Object No. 2005/48/1
The Seahorse Inn is the only building left standing in Boydtown, near Eden, New South Wales. Benjamin Boyd was a wealthy London stockbroker who came to Australia in 1842 to make his fortune. Upon his arrival he established a coastal steamship service between Sydney and Hobart and within two years he had become one of the largest landholders in the colony. Boyd began whaling on the southern shore of Twofold Bay and set to building a self sufficient town, Boydtown, to support this venture. The town boasted stores, warehouses, a church, post office and the Seahorse Inn. Boyd suffered financial hardship during the depression of the 1840s and by 1849 operations in Twofold Bay had ceased. He left Australia and in 1851 he disappeared in an apparent duck hunting accident. The Seahorse Hotel was built with convict labour and the foundations were made of sandstone from Pyrmont in Sydney. After Boyd left, the town and the hotel were basically abandoned. The Seahorse Hotel was bought by the Whiter brothers in 1936, they renovated and added a second story. Restoration took place during the 1980s and today it is a popular tourist attraction offering accommodation, a restaurant and bar.
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Summary
Object Statement
Nail, handmade, iron, maker unknown, used at The Seahorse Inn, Boydtown, New South Wales, Australia, c. 1843
Physical Description
Nail, handmade, from The Seahorse Inn, iron, Boydtown, New South Wales, Australia, c. 1843 A handmade iron nail with a slightly flattened head. The nail has been attached to a paper receipt from the Royal Australian Historical Society. The paper is marked.
DIMENSIONS
Height
86 mm
Width
10 mm
Depth
7 mm
HISTORY
Notes
This nail was used as part of the original construction of The Seahorse Inn at Boydtown in New South Wales c. 1843. It was donated to the Royal Australian Historical Society by George Driver. It was part of the Royal Australian Historical Society collection that was transferred to the Powerhouse Museum in 1981.
SOURCE
Credit Line
Gift of the Royal Australian Historical Society, 1981
Acquisition Date
15 February 2005
Copyright for the above image is held by the Powerhouse and may be subject to third-party copyright restrictions. Please submit an Image Licensing Enquiry for information regarding reproduction, copyright and fees. Text is released under Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivative licence.
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