02/06/2026
Way Back Wednesday . . . .
William Street
A view from the corner of William and Howick Streets, Bathurst in 1873. A glimpse of the School of the Arts can be seen on the right of the photograph.
On the left of the photograph is the Cobb & Co booking office. James Rutherford was
born in America in 1827, and he immigrated to Australia in 1855. In 1857 he became the
manager of the coaching firm, he became a partner in 1861 and appointed
general manager. Bathurst became the headquarters of the firm in 1862.
Next to Cobb & Co at 78 William Street, the two-storey building, was built for the Bank of Australasia, in 1844, Henry Rotton was the tenant, and he opened the Victoria Inn. The Joint Stock Bank bought the building in 1863, and it was converted to a bank and was opened on the 4th of January 1864. The building was demolished in 1972.
Further along the street is the establishment of Henry Butterworth, a chemist & druggist and Henry Owen’s Clothing Store.
