Jolly Frog Hotel

The Jolly Frog Hotel is located at 25-27 Bridge Street, near the corner with Macquarie Street, Windsor, New South Wales and is adjacent to the Fitzroy Bridge over South Creek. In 2012 the Hawkesbury City Council Local Environmental Plan listed the hotel as an item of local heritage significance.

On this site stood an inn known by the sign of The Currency Lass from 1833 to 1848. It was first licensed by James Cullen, then James Gosper, Margaret Gosper, John Shearing and Michael Egan. The building was also used as a school and private residence until it was severely damaged by surging torrents of flood water from South Creek which inundated much of Windsor during the epic incursion of 1867. In 1886, the building renamed the Carrington Hotel (after Lord Carrington, Governor of NSW 1885-90) opened under Robert Huggins who had purchased the former hotel and adjoining allotment. The existing structure was neglected and disused and extensive renovations were carried out before reopening. It was operated by Robert Huggins and then by his widow Emily until 1902.

The Carrington Hotel under the ownership of Robert and Emily Huggins. Hawkesbury Gazette, 18 February 2015.

From 1902 to 1955, the hotel continued to operate as the Carrington Hotel with various owners and licensees. Then in 1956 it underwent renovation and modernisation and reopened as Podesta’s Hotel. It was renamed the Jolly Frog Hotel in 1973. The building incurred extensive flood damage during the floods of 1978, reopening in September that year. The site was acquired in 2001 by Hawkesbury Valley Holden as part of its expansion program. In 2004, Norma Needham owner of both the Jolly Frog Hotel and Hawkesbury Valley Holden displayed plans for the future of the combined site which only partly came to fruition.

In 2004 the building traded as the Verandah Restaurant and Bar and then in 2006 reopened as the Jolly Frog Family Hotel following a million dollar refurbishment. The hotel had been closed for three years before much of the fabric of the building was destroyed by the devasting fire in January 2014.

The Jolly Frog Hotel after closure but before the devastating fire of 2014. Taken by Kylie Pitt and published in the Hawkesbury Gazette, 27 February 2013.

Read more about the history of this hotel: Short History Jolly Frog Hotel Windsor Updated March 2020.pdf

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