Bencubbin Hotel

Statement of Significance

Bencubbin Hotel, Monger Street, Bencubbin has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons:
It demonstrates the development and decline of rural Western Australian towns and the changing patterns and needs of commercial and leisure travellers and rural communities.

It is closely associated with the Hon Edward Bertram ‘Bertie’ Johnston, former MLA for Williams Narrogin (1991-1928) and Senator for Western Australia (1929-1942), who owned the hotel, and a number of others, from the time of its construction until the end of his life in September 1942.

It is closely associated with well-known Perth architect George Herbert Parry who designed the hotel and a number of others, including the Captain Stirling Hotel, which was also owned by Bertie Johnston.

It forms a major landmark on Monger Street, Bencubbin and is likely to have been the only two storey commercial building constructed in the town.

It is significant to the community of Bencubbin as a meeting place for residents of Bencubbin and surrounding areas and as a comfortable place to stay for travellers.

ASSESSMENT OF CULTURAL HERITAGE SIGNIFICANCE

Importance to the course, or pattern of our cultural or natural history:
The construction and later extension of the Bencubbin Hotel reflects the development of rural Western Australian towns and the changing patterns and needs of commercial and leisure travellers.

The now vacant state condition of the Bencubbin Hotel reflects the pattern of decline in rural farming and wheatbelt communities and the viability of businesses in those towns.

The intention of the current owners to conserve and restore the hotel for a sustainable hospitality use reflects the significance of such buildings to the Western Australian community.

Possession of uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of our cultural or natural history:
The Bencubbin Hotel is likely to have been the largest, and only two storey building, in Bencubbin.

Potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of our cultural or natural history:

Importance in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a class of cultural or natural places or environments:
The Bencubbin Hotel demonstrates the changing role and importance of hotels in rural and regional Western Australian towns.

Importance in exhibiting particular aesthetic characteristics:
The Bencubbin Hotel is a major landmark on Monger Street, Bencubbin.

The Hotel appears to have been the largest and only two-storey building in Bencubbin.

Importance in demonstrating a high degree of creative or technical achievement at a particular period:

Strong or special association with a particular community or cultural group for social, cultural or spiritual reasons. This includes significance of a place to indigenous peoples as part of their continuing and developing cultural traditions:
The Bencubbin Hotel is significant to the community of Bencubbin as a meeting place for residents of Bencubbin and surrounding areas and as a comfortable place to stay for travellers.

The intention of the current owners to conserve and restore the hotel for a sustainable hospitality use reflects the significance of such buildings to the Western Australian community.

Special association with the life or works of a person or groups of person, of importance in our history:
The Bencubbin Hotel is closely associated with the Hon Edward Bertram Johnston, former MLA for Williams Narrogin (1991-1928) and Senator for Western Australia (1929-1942). Johnston constructed the Bencubbin Hotel and had extensive and successful business and hotel interests including the Captain Stirling Hotel, Nedlands and the Inglewood Hotel.

The Bencubbin Hotel is closely associated with well-known Perth architect, George Herbert Parry who designed the original hotel and its later two storey addition. Parry was also responsible for the design, along with Marshall Clifton, of other hotels owned by Johnston, including the Captain Stirling Hotel in Nedlands and the Inglewood Hotel.

Physical Description

The 1997 Statewide Survey of Hotels 1829-1939 Southern Region, Western Australia describes the Bencubbin Hotel as follows:
“The hotel is built on the corner of Monger Street and Padbury Street. Progressing north east along Monger Street away from the Padbury intersection are two single storey buildings followed by the two storey block. Each of these adjoining buildings are interconnected.
The building nearest the intersection has a gable, corrugated iron clad, medium pitch roof with the main ridge running parallel with Monger Street and a secondary ridge carrying a gable, infilled with brick work, lining with the street wall face. A lean-to verandah roof of low pitch, supported on timber posts and separated from the main roof by a gutter line, lines the Monger Street elevation. Vented gablets spring from the body of the roof. The walls at the street elevation have a face brick dad and stucco render above.
The single storey building to the west is similar with a gable roof, brick infilled gable in the line of the street wall and low pitched verandahs. The walls facing the street are of stucco render and stone work with brick quoins at the corners of the building projections.
The two storey section follows the same pattern with a gabled roof with the main ridge running parallel with Monger Street and a secondary ridge carrying a gable to the gutter line of the two storey verandah which runs the width of the building. The verandah is supported on timber posts and has a sheeted balustrade at first floor level and a matching valance at ground floor level. The walls are of face brick.
Behind the building are various out buildings including a row of dilapidated framed and fibro cement clad motel units.”

History

Assessment: 2021
Construction: 1922
Alterations/Additions: 1929
Architect/designer: George Herbert Parry
The Shire of Mt Marshall’s website provides the following brief history of Bencubbin:
“The land around Bencubbin was opened for selection in 1910 but the town was not gazetted until 1917, the same year the railway had reached the townsite. Prior to this time the Sandalwood pullers had been through the district and their tracks were later used for roads. Those areas that had reasonably reliable water in the form of gnamma holes or soaks, which were also used as grazing country for flocks of sheep with shepherds in the district from the late 1890s. Once the rail line came through settlement stepped up and soon there was a Post Office and other stores to service the district. Prior to this time settler travelled to Kellerberrin once or twice a year to purchase supplies.

At one time Bencubbin had two general stores, fuel outlets, a butcher, baker, Post Office, Hotel and so on. As the population declined it became harder to support these businesses and slowly they have been absorbed into other businesses in town. A Police service has been present since those early days. At one time there were numerous government employees housed in Bencubbin. Railway workers, agricultural personnel, and advisors all lived and worked in the town. The social life of the community in the past centred on the dances and balls that the various organisations ran, the pictures shown in the hall by Paddy Baker and the various sports. The school has been part of community life from those very early years and continued to be an important part of the community to this day.”

In 1922 Albert Johnston applied for a provisional certificate for a large hotel in Bencubbin. It is later reported that the Hotel was owned by Edward Bertram Johnston who was known as Bertie. It is likely that his name was misreported as Albert. Johnston was born in 1880 in Geraldton and became the MLA for Williams Narrogin in 1911 representing the Labor Party. He resigned in December 1915 but was re-elected in January 1916 as an Independent and became a member of the Country Party in June 1917. He remained in state politics until 1928, holding the position of Speaker briefly in 1917 and Deputy Leader of the Country Party from 1923 until 1928. In July 1929 he was elected to the Commonwealth Senate where he served until September 1942. Johnston had extensive and successful business and hotel interests, engaging Herbert Parry and Marshall Clifton to build the Captain Stirling and Inglewood Hotels in Perth. In 1942 he was accused of falsifying his income tax returns and when Parliament resumed in September he told a group of reporters and politicians that ‘you will never see me again’. He went for a swim and drowned in Port Philip Bay on 6 September 1942.

A number of community members spoke in support of the Johnston’s application, agreeing that ‘a good residential hotel was Bencubbin’s most urgent need’. The proposed hotel, designed by architect G Herbert Parry, was described as ‘Dining room 34’ 6” x 18’; commercial room, 24’ x 18’; large lounge hall, 14 bedrooms, 2 bath rooms, parlours, saloon and public bars, and every modern improvement, including large sleeping out verandahs, motor garage and septic tank’.

Architect George Herbert Parry (1882-1951), who always used his middle name, was born in Perth and was educated both in Perth and England. He returned to Perth in 1907 and joined the Public Works Department. The next year he joined architects MF and JC Cavanagh and in 1911 established his own practice. Parry’s father was the second Church of England Bishop in Perth and this strong connection saw him design a number of Anglican Church buildings including St Mary’s Church, South Perth; St Catherine’s, Greenough; and the Burt Memorial Hall at St George’s Cathedral. Herbert married Isla Burt in 1910. He was also responsible for numerous other non-ecclesiastical places including a number of hotels and was associated with the design of hotels in Kalamunda, Koorda and Mukinbudin as well as the Captain Stirling Hotel, Nedlands and the Inglewood Hotel.

The Bencubbin Hotel opened in September 1922 ‘for the use of travellers and thirsty ones’. The proprietor was noted as Mr Grave.

A Publican’s General Licence was issued to TR Polak of the Bencubbin Hotel in November 1923. Shortly after this time, newspapers refer to Fred Polak as the licensee of the hotel and in 1926 a publican’s general licence is renewed for FRL Pollack (probably a misspelling). In 1929, the hotel was owned by Senator-elect, the Hon EB Johnston.
Extensions to the hotel were proposed from at least January 1929 when it was noted that works could not commence until May when it had rained and water was available. Six rooms were to be constructed at the rear of the existing hotel and which would be subsequently used for staff rooms. In March of that year it was reported that ‘Bencubbin is the outlet for an enormous area north of the Wyalkatchem – Lake Brown loop. Travellers covering this northern area make Bencubbin their base and the Hotel in consequence very often is taxed to its limit of accommodation. The extensions proposed will be double-storied and will extend west of the present building. The ground floor will include single and double bedrooms, and a new kitchen and staff dining room etc. The upper floor will be devoted to more bedrooms, and a commodious drawing room, 25 feet extend the length of the new building in front and at the rear there will be a similar balcony, eight feet wide. The total new bedrooms will be 21, providing ample accommodation for the future. Three new bathrooms and adequate other conveniences are included in the scheme. On the east side of the existing building a new saloon bar 25 feet by 33 feet wide will be built. The plans for the extensions were prepared by Mr Herbert Parry, of Perth, and tenders will be called almost immediately.’

Whilst ‘Bertie’ Johnston owned the hotel since its construction, there were was a regular changing of the guard in the hotel’s management. In 1930, Mr J Elliot, formerly of the Bencubbin Hotel, purchased the Yealering Hotel. Mr and Mrs Polak, who likely took over from Elliot, left the Bencubbin Hotel in May 1933 to take up management of another hotel.

Renovations and improvements to the Bencubbin Hotel were undertaken in 1934 with the ‘newly-installed refrigerating plant in the bar…voted a real winner’. Mr and Mrs RI Nicholson had recently taken over the management of the hotel from Mr and Mrs George Chapman.

Mr and Mrs V Polak took over the Bencubbin Hotel from Mr and Mrs Nicholson in July 1937 to take over a guest house in Perth. Vic Polak and his wife left the hotel in 1940 with Mr and Mrs Butler taking over the management. Other licensees and managers included:
1947 Mr and Mrs George Brown
1947 Mr and Mrs Reg Miller
1948 Mr Beaton
1954 Mr and Mrs Reg Miller returned
1964 Cornelius Van De Laar
1987 Rodney Price

In July 1954 the Wheatbelt Tribune and Koorda Record noted that alterations to the Bencubbin Hotel had started.

The Bencubbin Hotel was damaged during Cyclone Seroja in April 2021. Roofing materials at the north-western end of the hotel was lost and there was subsequent internal damage.
Hotels in the wheatbelt and other regional and rural areas of Western Australia, have struggled to remain viable with the dwindling populations as people sold their farms, properties became larger and the number of patrons have reduced.

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Disclaimer

This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.