Photo c. 1865	The “Caledonian” was licensed to David McLaws in 1844 and claims to be Victoria’s oldest continually licensed hotel. McLaws purchased the acre block from Atkinson in 1850 for £200 after obtaining a 21 year lease at £6 per annum in 1844, with an option of a further 14 years at £9 per annum. James Stribling (1853) and then James Ware were appointed the succeeding licensees until McLaw resumed his earlier responsibilities in April 1959. McLaws discharged his mortgage of £1,500 to T. H. Braim and John Bland in 1860, and remortgaged it for £1,200.
Photo c. 1861	In the four years prior to 1860, the Caledonian Inn had an assessed property value of £150. David Smith became licensee in 1861. Arch. McLaren accepted the lease for the hotel, which then contained 4 parlours, a bagatelle room, 8 bedrooms, detached kitchen, stable and half-fenced kitchen garden. There were three licesees until 1878/9, when Willaim Stribling paid the rates on an assessed annual value of £60, despite being initially refused because he was “a man of drunken habits”. He was succeeded by Marion Gauley and Harold Burley as licensees. Mrs Gauley purchased the freehold of the property for £430 from McLaw’s executors in December 1881, but the sale was not completed. The Estate offered the property for sale in May 1887 with its original idea of one acre (330’ to Bank Street, x 132’), 21 rooms and a 12 stall stable. The Caledonian Inn was well known for its horse sales. On occasion, Hugh Donelly was engaged as a dummy bidder to keep prices up and afterwards was paid well in food, drink and money. T. A. Brown of “Squattlesmere” (a property of some 30,000 acres in the Bessiebelle-Broadwater district) held horse sales at the Caledonian. One sale advertised in October 1855 offered “Extensive sale of Hacks, Harness Horses and Young Stock adapted for Draft” from Brown’s stud. The Auctioneer was W. D. Halhed. Refreshments were provided. T. A. Brown was the notable author “Rolfe Boldrewood”. In 1856, sales were conducted for William Rutledge & Co with Mr Hill as Auctioneer, and in November 1872, the Western Horse Bazaar was opened there by William O’Brien. Meetings of the Belfast Racing Club, Belfast Rifle Club and Belfast Rowing Club were held at the Caledonian as well as inquests and entertainment such as the Tradesmen and Farmer’s Ball in 1855, advertised as “to be kept strictly select – Tickets £2.
	James Street frontage. After re-roofing with corrugated iron there is one less dormer window.
The 1946 floods from the corner or Bank & James Streets	Over the weekend of the 16th and 17th of March, 1946, ten inches of rain was recorded in two days. Port Fairy and the whole of the surrounding districts were subjected to a flood unique in the history of the Western District. Steady rain commenced early on Friday evening and continued without interruption all night. By nine o’clock on Saturday morning 215 points had been recorded. Rain continued all day and all night, and by late Sunday night over nine inches had been recorded. The heaviest fall ever recorded in the history of Port Fairy in two days and the heaviest recorded in any month of the year.
c. 1952	Sketch by Irene Bartlett.
Photo c. 1956	The Caledonian retains it’s character externally. The dormer windows appear to hold a number of attic rooms. However, they hide the fact that much of the roof area is unfinished because the labourers downed tools in 1853 and departed for the goldfields in search of their fortunes. The roofing material can still be seen in the unfinished area and these are the shakes because they are split, unlike shingles that are sawn.
	The Caledonian in 1977 shows the new addition in Bank Street – the dining room.
	The Caledonian Inn 1999.