As a professional musician, Rob Bartlett has seen the inside of many pubs all around Australia, but in his new book, Rob is delving deep into the history of Orange’s earliest watering holes.

A keen Orange historian Rob will be launching his new book Early Inns, Hotels and Pubs of Orange NSW at the Orange City Library on Tuesday, November 19.

The book is Rob’s fourth published volume of local history and is a comprehensive look at the inns and hotels of Orange from 1837 to 1920. Inside you’ll find 150 historical photographs, maps, lists of licensees, newspaper advertisements and clippings and other relevant information. Hotels covered in the book include the Limerick Arms, Gladstone, Golden Fleece, Morning Star, Oriental, Prince of Wales, Victoria, Standard, Telegraph, Terminus and many many more.

It is the culmination of years of difficult research, and Rob has done a remarkable job of sorting fact from fiction and hunting down information from archives, council records, old maps, newspapers and first-hand accounts.

“I started putting this together only a couple of years ago, and then laying a few things out, I thought, I'll do another book. That's basically how it was,” Rob said.

“It needed to be done because the information was there, but there were still gaps here and there and huge assumptions here. I've been able to fill the gaps, there's a lot of conundrums solved.”

For anyone interested in local history or family history, Rob’s book will be a valuable resource as it contains an index of Orange publican names and each hotel entry follows the licence through its various name changes over the years rather than listing in alphabetical order.

Rob’s interest in history began in childhood, running around the local goldfields and exploring old buildings and antique shops.

“It started about 50 years ago with collecting photographs, I suppose,” Rob said. “Dad did a lot of photography in his early days and he had old photographs at home. He'd show us as kids and tell the old stories — probably a few tall stories as well! So, that's what has carried on to me, I guess.”

Pubs, Rob said, are an incredible source of history and stories as they are often the first buildings erected in a new town and the centre of town life.

“Hotels and pubs have always been a fascination… It is the fabric of the town. There's entertainment and music. A lot of wild stories! It's a community place where people come together,” he said.

Rob Bartlett will be launching his new book Early Inns, Hotels and Pubs of Orange NSW at Orange City Library on Tuesday, November 19 at 5.30pm. Please book your place online via eventbrite or call Orange City Library on 6393 8132.

Copies of Early Inns, Hotels and Pubs of Orange NSW will be for sale on the night for cash only for $50 per copy. Rob will be available for signings.