Healy is the great-great granddaughter of Andrew O\u2019Keefe, the contractor of the O\u2019Keefe Rail Trail, and has previously written a book of her own family.<\/p>\n
After taking an interest in William Heffernan, Healy\u2019s research led her to uncover many stories of one of Bendigo\u2019s most successful proprietors.<\/p>\n
\u201cI went to the local papers at the time when he died and I got the outline of his life and so I basically filled that in,\u201d she said. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t that easy because he was a man who lived in five countries.\u201d<\/p>\n
Born in Ireland in 1803, Mr Heffernan travelled to California via Panama in pursuit of the growing timber and fur trade, according to Healy.<\/p>\n
When the Bendigo Goldrush hit its stride in the 1850s, Mr Heffernan travelled, via McIvor, along with thousands of keen diggers from all over the world.<\/p>\n
He acquired the site of the Shamrock, formerly a theatre, and transformed it into a hotel and concert hall, entertaining up to 1200 guests, six nights a week.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was absolutely enthralled with providing theatre for people, and he made a lot of money,\u201d Healy said.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s estimated the hotel made a profit of about $600 per night.<\/p>\n
A fire on Christmas Day in 1857 didn\u2019t douse Mr Heffernan\u2019s spirits, who decided to completely revamp the hotel with thirty bedrooms, private parlours, a huge commercial room, dining rooms, bars, a smoking saloon, and a bowling alley in the basement.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen he was at the hotel, he offered a venue to almost every organisation that was founded in Bendigo,\u201d Healy said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Easter parade started there; the eight-hour day movement – the first meeting was in the Shamrock hotel; the agriculture society. Everything was there.\u201d<\/p>\n In the 1870s, during the biggest mining boom in Bendigo, the Shamrock even housed the mining exchange after the Beehive Building was destroyed by fire on 25 August 1871.<\/p>\n Mr Heffernan\u2019s businesses ventures continue, building St James Hall, now Myer, and establishing the Royal Princess Theatre on View Street in 1974.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, as the Goldrush travelled around Central Victoria, Mr Heffernan lost most of his money.<\/p>\n \u201cThousands of people left Bendigo to go to Ararat, so the theatre didn\u2019t really pay his way for him, so he went broke,\u201d Healy said.<\/p>\n After moving to New Zealand, Mr Heffernan continued his love for hotels, building the Pier Hotel, where he lived until his death in 1891.<\/p>\n Healy has an adoration for the town\u2019s history and said there are many lessons from it that can be applied today.<\/p>\n \u201cHistory is very important because if we were serious and accepted what happened in history, we wouldn\u2019t be in trouble again,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause of history you know more about this illness that\u2019s around, you know more about how people can be tricked with their money.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/bendigotimes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/DSC_0385-300x200.jpg\")