Our Story
A hotel Rich
In History
Our hotel has a long and varied history, dating back to 1890 when publican Tommy Morris built and opened his ‘Exchange Hotel’ on the main street of Mittagong.
From here this building, known by most as ‘The Top Pub’, has been a central meeting place for our town, from Mittagong Bicycle Club’s general meetings in the early 1900s, to a game between mates in the old billiards room, a family lunch under the big tree or dinner to celebrate a special occasion.
The walls of this place could tell many stories, like the time the hotel was used as a filming location for the silent film ‘Robbery Under Arms’ in 1907. There would be lots of tales of the publicans and landlords too. Mrs Bridget Ryan, Mr Otto Martin and old Tommy Morris, just to name a few, who helped shape the hotel into what it is today.
In early 2023, we reopen this building as ‘Mittagong Hotel’. The history and many stories have been preserved through the hard work of our local tradespeople, talented chefs and staff and of course, the community of Mittagong.
Historic timeline
1821
The first settler of the area, William Chalker, arrives in Mittagong in May.
1884
The villages of New Sheffield and Nattai unite to form the present town of Mittagong.
1890
Tommy Morris builds and opens ‘The Exchange Hotel’.
1900’s
The hotel changes hands a few times. Otto Martin takes over in the early 1900s, followed by Mr S F Hedland, Mr Bush, Mr Hargraves and Mrs Ryan with a few others in between.
2000’s
Throughout the decades, Mittagong Hotel has hosted many publicans & a beloved Mexican bistro. One thing that has remained is our beautiful building and that familiar Southern Highlands hospitality.
Present
A team of skilled local tradespeople and designers come together to revitalise the historical features of the building, refresh the accommodation upstairs and bring the finishings to modern standards to reopen as the Mittagong Hotel we now know.
