Arnold's Guest House - Shellharbour Village
DESCRIPTION
NameArnold's Guest House - Shellharbour VillageAlternative NameMIsses Arnold's Boarding HouseTypeBuildingHotelDescriptionIn 1923 to 1925, the house and allotment No. 25 of Miss Edith Mary Fuller, trading as a boarding house, was sold to Miss. Ellen Arnold. It would appear by this that 'Aronda’ (the cottage adjacent) was built about 1894-1896 on part of land C8 part 6 owned by George Laurence Fuller lots 1 to 6 Mary Street Shellharbour.
These lots were inherited by GL Fuller's daughter, Edith Mary Fuller in 1917 on the death of her father G.L. Fuller. (deeds research Tongarra Heritage Society Inc.)
George Laurence Fuller is listed in the Shellharbour Municipality Valuation book of 1911 and 1914 to 1916 as owner of a boarding house Mary Street Sec C8 lot part 3 and cottage and land lot part 3 to 6.
It appears this building and ‘Aronda’ were adjoining and possibly built by George Laurence Fuller, as in the 1920 and 1922 valuations, Edith Fuller is listed as owner of houses and allotment at Lot 25 Mary Street, with the Misses Arnolds as occupiers. (ref. Shellharbour Valuation Books).
In 1923 to 1925, the house and allotment No. 25 of Miss Edith Mary Fuller, trading as a boarding house, was sold to Miss Ellen Arnold.
Ellen advertised the Boarding House for sale to builders and contractors in July 1925, to be removed from the site. The boarding house was described as 'Large two-story building containing seven bedrooms, large dining room, kitchen, bathroom and pantry.
Ellen Arnold with her sister, lived at the original ‘Aronda’ cottage.
15 September 1891, Ellen Arnold was given an address and presentation at the Temperance Hall Shellharbour social evening for her duties as organist ‘for some years past’ at the Wesleyan/Methodist Church. The Church in Mary Street had been erected in 1865 on land given by Thomas Alexander Reddall.
The book ‘My Name is Jemima’ by Arnold and Lorna Spackman, Arnold Spackman a descendant of the Arnold/James families tells the history of these families. The James girls, daughters of Thomas James and Rachel (nee: Arnold) James, went to the Shellharbour Public School in Mary Street, opposite the boarding house.
They would stay at the boarding house with their aunts Polly, Ellen and Jemima, and swing in the hammock on the balcony and watch the ships passing by on their way to Sydney. The girls would wait here for the older James girls to take them home to ‘Rosemont’ in the horse and sulky.
The girls when older, would catch the train from Shellharbour railway station to Wollongong Domestic Science School, a long day from 7.20 am to 6.30 pm back home to ‘Rosemont’. (excerpts from ‘My Name is Jemima' by Arnold and Lorna Spackman).
Ellen born in 1869 to George Cubitt and Mary Ann Arnold, was unmarried, and died in 1964 aged 95 years. Her parents and sisters had predeceased her.
The streets at the newcrest Estate, Flinders Shellharbour City, 2009, have been named after the James and Arnold families.
External LinkShellharbour 1916To Builders and Contractors For Private Sale 1925Mr Fuller Two-Storied Addition 1902
These lots were inherited by GL Fuller's daughter, Edith Mary Fuller in 1917 on the death of her father G.L. Fuller. (deeds research Tongarra Heritage Society Inc.)
George Laurence Fuller is listed in the Shellharbour Municipality Valuation book of 1911 and 1914 to 1916 as owner of a boarding house Mary Street Sec C8 lot part 3 and cottage and land lot part 3 to 6.
It appears this building and ‘Aronda’ were adjoining and possibly built by George Laurence Fuller, as in the 1920 and 1922 valuations, Edith Fuller is listed as owner of houses and allotment at Lot 25 Mary Street, with the Misses Arnolds as occupiers. (ref. Shellharbour Valuation Books).
In 1923 to 1925, the house and allotment No. 25 of Miss Edith Mary Fuller, trading as a boarding house, was sold to Miss Ellen Arnold.
Ellen advertised the Boarding House for sale to builders and contractors in July 1925, to be removed from the site. The boarding house was described as 'Large two-story building containing seven bedrooms, large dining room, kitchen, bathroom and pantry.
Ellen Arnold with her sister, lived at the original ‘Aronda’ cottage.
15 September 1891, Ellen Arnold was given an address and presentation at the Temperance Hall Shellharbour social evening for her duties as organist ‘for some years past’ at the Wesleyan/Methodist Church. The Church in Mary Street had been erected in 1865 on land given by Thomas Alexander Reddall.
The book ‘My Name is Jemima’ by Arnold and Lorna Spackman, Arnold Spackman a descendant of the Arnold/James families tells the history of these families. The James girls, daughters of Thomas James and Rachel (nee: Arnold) James, went to the Shellharbour Public School in Mary Street, opposite the boarding house.
They would stay at the boarding house with their aunts Polly, Ellen and Jemima, and swing in the hammock on the balcony and watch the ships passing by on their way to Sydney. The girls would wait here for the older James girls to take them home to ‘Rosemont’ in the horse and sulky.
The girls when older, would catch the train from Shellharbour railway station to Wollongong Domestic Science School, a long day from 7.20 am to 6.30 pm back home to ‘Rosemont’. (excerpts from ‘My Name is Jemima' by Arnold and Lorna Spackman).
Ellen born in 1869 to George Cubitt and Mary Ann Arnold, was unmarried, and died in 1964 aged 95 years. Her parents and sisters had predeceased her.
The streets at the newcrest Estate, Flinders Shellharbour City, 2009, have been named after the James and Arnold families.
External LinkShellharbour 1916To Builders and Contractors For Private Sale 1925Mr Fuller Two-Storied Addition 1902
Family
Place
The English, Scottish and Australian (E.S.& A) Bank facing Addison Street on the left. The two-storied building was the rear of Edith Fuller's Guesthouse. The Arnold sister's residence, 'Aronda', situated to the right of the guesthouse. The next building was the School of Arts.
CONNECTIONS
Arnold's Guest House - Shellharbour Village. Shellharbour City Council, accessed 13/12/2025, https://discover.shellharbour.nsw.gov.au/nodes/view/1292






