Samuel Caldwell arrived in Australia in 1830 on the Lord Melville. He had been a soldier and joined the mounted police in New South Wales. By 1841 he was Chief Constable at Muswellbrook. He took over the Albert Hotel in Aberdeen in 1846 and in September advertised for a 'steady sober man as cook and waiter at his country Inn'.

In 1849 he travelled to Maitland to attend the Maitland Circuit Court where he was a witness in the trial of George Waters Ward who was charged with murdering Richard Connelly. Ward and Connolly had dined at Caldwell's 'Albert Inn' on their way to Maitland

In December 1849 Caldwell transferred the publican's license to the Fitzroy Hotel in Singleton. Edward Richardson then took over the license for the Albert Hotel and a few months later advertised to employ a married couple to work at the Inn.

The Inn was probably well placed to benefit from the hundreds of diggers heading north to the Hanging Rock Gold Diggings in 1852 and in April Richardson placed an advertisement thanking inhabitants of Aberdeen as well as travellers on the Great Northern Road for their patronage. He could provide wines, spirits, English ales and porters such as but few houses on the road could compete with and offered good accommodation for all classes. A plentiful supply of good hay and corn for horses and stables if they required them were available at the Albert Inn.

(2) Sydney Herald October 1839

(3) Maitland Mercury 2 November 1844