June 16th, 2025Our region’s history with historian Natalie Poole

Carl Schulz – Publican, entrepreneur and philanthropist

Albert Julius ‘Carl’ Schulz migrated to Australia from Germany in 1884. Carl, as he preferred to be known, went to Milawa, Victoria and pursued the occupation of bricklaying.
He was hard working and money conscious and within a short time, in the early 1890s, was able to purchase the Moyhu Hotel.

The thrifty purchase gave him leftover funds which allowed him to rebuild the hotel, making sure all the necessary conveniences were installed, which included new furnishings, and hot and cold running water.
While the publican of the hotel, he also built a bakery, a doctor’s residence, Moyhu’s first public hall and the local saleyards. The reserve at Moyhu is named the Carl Schulz Reserve in his honour.
When his wife Marion Wolstenholme died in 1915, Carl decided to retire and seek a quieter lifestyle. This did not last.
In 1922, he went on to to purchase the Lagoon Hotel, Kiewa. He built the business up over three years and sold the hotel at a great profit.
Carl’s next venture was in the town of Trentham. He took over the victualler’s licence (it authorises the licensee to sell and dispose of liquor on the specified premises) from Victorine Fitzgerald on what was known as the Bank Hotel on May 12, 1925. In December that year significant alterations were approved to the hotel at a cost of £5000.
In January 1926, Carl acquired the freehold of the hotel and was due to commence alterations. Unfortunately, before the building works had begun, the wooden hotel was extensively damaged by fire and a large portion of the hotel had to be demolished. The morgue out the back remained intact and continued to be used during the rebuild.
Carl finished the extensive rebuild in March 1927 with the new name ‘Hotel Trentham’ in honour of the town. The advertisement in The Argus newspaper on March 12, 1927 read ‘HOTEL TRENTHAM Newly Built Brick Building. All newly furnished, every convenience, hot and cold water; terms moderate, 6 private garages; 1 mile from Trentham Falls. CARL SCHULZ, Proprietor’.
He continued to operate the hotel until becoming seriously ill in September that year, when he had a paralytic stroke. The business was sold to Jim Bennett of Melbourne on March 31, 1928. Sadly, Carl passed away in May, 1929 and is buried in the Milawa Cemetery.
Carl will be remembered for his rebuild of the iconic Hotel Trentham and also giving freely to charitable and worthy causes in the town. He came to Trentham with a big idea and although it didn’t go as planned, he is still remembered.

A not so funny story

On October 20, 1928 a newspaper article says a George Poole was found burned to death in his bed in his room at Hotel Trentham on October 12. The licensee Mr Bennett noticed a smell of burning, and on investigation found Mr Poole dead and the bed still smouldering. Fortunately Carl had the foresight to rebuildin brick, or it could have burnt to the ground, again.

Images: The opening of the Hotel Trentham in 1927, with thanks to the Trentham Historical Society
The hotel today, Natalie Poole