Welcome to Erica
Your publicans (and owners), Mick & Katie, warmly welcome you to the Erica Hotel Motel, offering modern Australian country pub meals, a great selection of drinks, a warm and inviting atmosphere, and the must try Hot Rock dining experience.
Our bistro is host to the Bushman's Museum, sporting a great pubobilia collection of equipment and information from the timber industry, as well as many other interesting artifacts.
Establised in 1915, the Erica Hotel Motel is located in Erica, just 20min north of Moe, and 2 hours east of Melbourne.
Erica, originally known as Upper Moondarra, became a popular district back in 1860 following the discovery of gold in Walhalla, just a short distance up the mountain.
In the early 1900's, Erica's fertile red soil became highly sought after to grow local produce, leading to the establishment of market gardens to supply the nearby gold mining town of Walhalla.
A walking track was also established between Warburton and Walhalla, passing over Mount Erica to the north of the town. The track forms part of what is now known as the 655km Australian Alps Walking Track, including the 103km Upper Yarra Walking Track and the 42km Great Walhalla Alpine Trail.
The town was officially named "Erica" in 1914, after the nearby Mount Erica and the native heath.
In the 1920's, Erica became the centre of a thriving timber industry, with tramways operating in and out of nearby bushland, bringing timber back to Erica where it was then transported to Moe via rail. Over the following decade, 13 sawmills had been established working in the vicinity of Erica.
Fires ravaged the area in 1939 and a state sawmill was constructed to salvage the burnt timber, which was lated destroyed by fire in 1953. The rail was subsequently closed in 1954 and timber was then transported by road after the sawmill was rebuilt.
A huge log, timber bogie, and a tractor stand as a memorial to the bush workers, with the remains of Erica's last sawmill located to the south of the village.
The Erica Hotel was rebuilt in 1983 after fire razed the original to the ground, and today contains a great collection of chainsaws and timber industry pubobilia in its Bushman's Museum - including a chainsaw made of wood!