The history of Mount Victoria in the Blue Mountains is deeply intertwined with the story of Mary Finn (née Gallivan). A woman of extraordinary resilience, Mary transitioned from a dairy maid in County Kerry to a pioneering landholder in colonial Australia. In doing so, she established the foundations of a landmark that still stands today: the Victoria & Albert Guesthouse—one of the earliest and most iconic hotels in the region.
☘️ From Kerry to the Colony: A Free Settler’s Journey
Mary Gallivan’s story began in Castlegregory, County Kerry, Ireland. Born into a rural life of early responsibility, she married John Finn around 1810. Together, they lived through seismic shifts in Ireland before the family made the monumental decision to emigrate.
In 1838, Mary boarded the SS Susan as a free settler. She endured a grueling four-month voyage with her three young children—John, Patrick, and Julia—eventually arriving in Sydney on March 10, 1839. This marked the beginning of a remarkable transformation from an immigrant newcomer to a visionary property developer.
🏛️ The Mount Victoria Connection: The Royal Hotel
Mary Finn was a pioneering landholder whose vision for Mount Victoria was tied directly to the arrival of the railway. On May 18, 1865, Mary acquired 40 acres of land in what was then known as One Tree Hill (now Mount Victoria). This strategic acquisition included the current Station Street and the site of the town’s most historic landmarks.
- The Royal Hotel (V&A): In 1867, Mary applied to build a hotel on her land to serve the growing railway traffic. By 1868, the Royal Hotel was completed. Today, this building is known as the Victoria & Albert Guesthouse (or simply the “V&A”). It remains one of the oldest surviving hotels in the Blue Mountains and has welcomed notable historical figures, including John F. Kennedy.
- The Imperial Hotel: Even the land on which the nearby Hotel Imperial (built in 1878) now stands was originally part of Mary’s 40-acre grant, before the area was subdivided and sold.
🏗️ The Finn Family Legacy in Hartley
The Finns were a powerhouse family of hoteliers and settlers. While Mary focused on Mount Victoria, the family established several other significant properties in the nearby historic village of Hartley:
- Old Trahlee: A beautiful sandstone house built by the family between 1846 and 1854, named after their hometown in Ireland. It now serves as a unique accommodation option within the Hartley Historic Site.
- Farmers Inn: Built by Mary’s son, John Finn, around 1845. It served as a vital stop for travelers heading to the gold fields of Hill End and Sofala.
- Ivy Cottage: Another Finn family residence in Hartley, dating from the late 1850s to early 1870s.
- Hartley Post Office: The family managed this essential service for 58 years, cementing their status as the administrative heart of the settlement before the railway bypassed Hartley in favor of Mount Victoria.
👨👩👧👦 The Kidman Lineage
Mary Finn’s descendants would go on to spread across New South Wales, but one branch of the family tree leads to a particularly famous face. Mary Finn was the great-great-great-grandmother of actress Nicole Kidman.
Mary’s son, John Finn (Nicole’s great-great-grandfather), followed in his mother's footsteps as a prominent figure in the hospitality and land development sectors. While the modern Royal Hotel in Randwick is often cited in Kidman family histories, Mary’s most direct architectural legacy remains in the mountains. This connection illustrates how the grit and ambition of early colonial matriarchs like Mary continue to resonate through modern Australian history.
🕊️ An Enduring Architectural Heritage
While there are no verified studio portraits of Mary Finn, her "visual" legacy is written in sandstone and render. The original Royal Hotel she built underwent a major metamorphosis in 1914 under owner W.J. Lees, who transformed the roadside inn into a grand, two-story retreat with sweeping verandahs and cement-rendered walls.
Mary Finn passed away in 1884, leaving behind a legacy that is deeply woven into the fabric of the Blue Mountains. Today, her impact is unmistakable—from the grand guesthouse that still welcomes travelers to the historic streets of Mount Victoria that she first helped to map out.
Next time you walk through our halls, remember the grit and grace of the Irish matriarch who started it all. Her life remains a testament to the courage and vision of the early settlers who laid the foundations of the communities we call home today.There are so many stories that this hotel has held since 1868—and even before then, when this land was a sacred Aboriginal place.