A timeline of Hotel Australia events and some of the people who lived and worked there.

 
Date Event
1880 Coughlin's Hotel, a weatherboard inn, was erected on what is now the corner of Maude and Fryers Streets.
1897 Union Hotel established.
May 1897 Tom Phillips born.
Jun 1928 Union Hotel acquired by the Misses Dunne after selling the Court House Hotel.
May 1929 Union Hotel renamed Hotel Australia following renovations and extensions by Dunnes.
Jan 1938 Tom Phillips owner and licensee of the Pine Lodge Hotel, Shepparton East.
Sep 1939 World War Two begins.
Feb 1940 TJ Phillips no longer licensee of the Pine Lodge Hotel.
1941-1944 Tom Phillips is connected with several pubs in the Shepparton area, including the Cricketer's Arms Hotel in Mooroopna.
1941-1942 Tom Phillips manages the Court House Hotel in Wyndham St.
Mar 1942 Wartime limits on beer production were imposed, requiring breweries to reduce their output to two-thirds of previous levels.
Nov 1944 Tom Phillips leases the Hotel Australia for three years at £25 per week. Licence transferred from Mary Dunne. There are no business partners. He will be assisted by Sis Phillips and Miss K Barry as manageress.
1945 Bub Williams (Sis Phillips's sister) helps at the pub for around six months at the end of WW2.
Sep 1945 Second World War ends in the Pacific.
Feb 1946 Jack Phillips starts working in the pub following discharge from WW2 service.
Feb 1947 Reg Phillips starts working in the pub following WW2 discharge.
Jan 1948 Laurie Phillips starts working in the pub following WW2 discharge.
Mar 1948 Reg Phillips marries Madge and moves out of the pub. They live in Orr St.
Aug 1948 TJ Phillips & Sons formed as a partnership with Tom, Jack, Reg & Laurie Phillips. Hotel Australia licence transferred from TJ Phillips to TJ Phillips & Sons. According to the licence application report, they will have assistance of Mrs Phillips, 1x female chef, 1x kitchen maid, 2x waitresses, 1x housemaid waitress, 2x housemaids, 1x laundress, 1x 'handyman useful', 2x barmen, 1x manager bookkeeper.
Apr 1951 Rene Phillips marries Keith Barnes and moves out of the pub. They move to Warrnambool.
Sep 1951 Laurie Phillips marries Lorraine and moves out of the pub. They live in Mooroopna while their Maude St house is built.
Feb 1952 Reg, Madge and Michael move into the pub from Orr St.
Feb 1952 Jack marries Cass and moves out of the pub. They live in Orr St for several years.
Mar 1953 Reg, Madge, Michael & Susan move out of the pub into their newly completed Maude St house.
Jan 1955 TJ Phillips & Sons becomes TJ Phillips & Sons Pty Ltd. Tom Phillips is director, Jack Phillips is secretary. Nominal capital of the company is £100,000. Capital subscribed is £41,000 at £1 per share. There are six shareholders; Tom 10,500 shares, Sis 10,500 shares, Jack 7500 shares, Laurie 7500 shares, Don 4000 shares and Brian 1000 shares.
Feb 1955 Reg Phillips leaves TJ Phillips & Sons to start Mensland.
Apr 1955 Hotel Australia licence transferred from TJ Phillips & Sons to TJ Phillips & Sons Proprietary Limited.
1958-1964 Bub Williams runs the Hotel Australia bottle shop for eight years after leaving the Junction Hotel in Toolamba.
Mar 1958 Don Phillips marries Marion and moves out of the pub. They soon live in Old Dookie Rd.
Nov 1963 Allotment of 2000 shares to Reg Phillips.
Dec 1963 Don, Marion, Trevor & Paul move into the pub.
c. 1964 Laurie Phillips leaves the pub and works at the Shepparton Golf Club for a year or so.
Nov 1964 Don Phillips appointed a director of TJ Phillips & Sons Pty Ltd.
Feb 1966 Decimal currency introduced.
1967 TJ Phillips & Sons consists of 45,000 shares: Tom 10,500, Sis 10,500, Jack 7500, Laurie 7500, Don 4000, Brian 3000 and Reg 2000.
Apr 1967 Allotment of 2000 shares to Brian Phillips.
Feb 1968 Brian Phillips marries Maureen and they live in the pub.
c. 1969 Brian, Maureen & Peta move out of the pub to McCracken St.
Mar 1971 Don and Marion take Trevor and Paul on holiday to Europe for six months. Brian and Maureen move back into the pub. Maureen handles Marion's job while she is away.
Oct 1971 Fire damages the main bar and cellar areas, with smoke and water damage to other sections.
c. 1974 Third generation Trevor Phillips starts working in the bottle shop on Friday and Saturday nights.
1977 Hotel Australia purchases the Goulburn Valley Winery for $83,000.
1978 Third generation Phillips family, John, Robyn and Trevor, pouring beers at the pub.
Sep 1979 Hotel Australia licence transferred from TJ Phillips & Sons to Biltel Hotels Pty Ltd.
Sep 1979 Tom Phillips pours his last beer at the Hotel Australia.
Feb 1980 Don Phillips resigns as a director of TJ Phillips & Sons Pty Ltd.
Dec 1980 Tom Phillips dies aged 83.
Apr 1981 Reg and Brian Phillips appointed as directors of TJ Phillips & Sons Pty Ltd.
Nov 1981 TJ Phillips & Sons liquidated.