The Commercial Hotel opened for business in October 1904, after Charlie Larkin had applied to the Licensing Court, however by the 25th of November the License was transferred to Daniel Quain. In 1909 the owner of the hotel C. Larkin had a brick addition to his hotel on the southern side. The extension was of two storey construction and consisted of two shops at ground level with bedrooms above on the second floor. It was the first brick building in Kyogle. In 1925 G. Grove the well known Kyogle builder extended this brick part of the hotel. The brick additions with Federation style embellishments still stand and form the southern side of the present Commercial Hotel.
On Christmas morning of 1926 Kyogle's main street from Geneva Street's southern corner with the main street to the Commercial Hotel was burnt to the ground. This was one of the biggest fires in the history of the north coast. All subsequent buildings were to be built of brick or fire resistant materials.
On Wednesday the 6th of July 1927 a second disastrous fire took place. Almost all the early buildings from the bottom end of the town to the Commercial Hotel were destroyed, leaving virtually no early main street buildings on the western side. Part of the Commercial Hotel was destroyed leaving only the two storey masonry section on the eastern end of the present hotel. The hotel was noted for being the building which stopped the 1927 fire from extending up the street.
According to Hasthorpe, following the fire it was decided to rebuild the hotel and plans were approved by the licensing court on the 23rd of August 1927. By October 1927 the construction of the new hotel had begun. Kyogle builder George J. Grove had won the tender and the cost was estimated at about 13,000 pounds. The new hotel building incorporated the brick section of the old hotel that had escaped the fire and contained forty bedrooms, including those in the old section. The balcony extended the full width of the building. On the 27th of March 1928 permission was granted by the licensing court to occupy the new hotel from the 31st of March 1928. The balcony was retained when the new hotel was completed but it has since been demolished and replaced by an awning.
The building continues to operate as a hotel.
The Kyogle Clock Tower:
On the 11th of July 1941 following the official opening of the Kyogle Ambulance Station this town clock in memory of the former Shire President Mr R. J. Moore was unveiled by Mr J.T. Reid MLA. As described on the memorial Robert Moore had been Shire President for 16 years between 1920 - 1936.
Moore was also instrumental in procuring the Fidden Creek rainforest remnant, now known as Moore Park Nature Reserve, as a National Park. As early as 1926 he was lobbying Council to have this land set aside.
Source: New South Wales Heritage Register.
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