The land on which the pub currently stands was part of a much larger  grant to colonial surgeon Dr William Balmain made in 1800 by Governor John Hunter. The hotel was established in 1878 as Hollis's Hotel under publican George Hollis. In 1884, J. W. Clifford became publican, renamed it to the Clifford Family Hotel and refitted the hotel in 1886.
The site of the current pub was originally allocated to colonial physician Dr William Balmain in 1800 by Governor John Hunter. The establishment became Hollis's Hotel in 1878 under George Hollis' management. In 1884, J. W. Clifford took charge and rebranded it as the Clifford Family Hotel, undertaking renovations in 1886.