Waroona Hotel

Statement of Significance

One of the few original public buildings remaining in the district located near the railway line where initial commercial development occured. Possibly the only known building of this architectural style in the townsite.

Physical Description

A two storey brick and asbestos building featuring gabled roof with decorative timber barge board, projecting bays (enclosed). Some modern additions and alterations have occurred which are not sympathetic to the original design.

History

Waroona originally had three functioning hotels: The Drakesbrook Arms Hotel, The Waroona Hotel and The Farmers Arms Hotel. The original Waroona Hotel is not the current Waroona Hotel. This has often led to some confusion.
The hospitality industry in Waroona began with a licence issued to Sarah Jane Warwick in January 1897 and was listed an Eating, Boarding and Lodging Licence in Drake’s Brook (Drakesbrook and Waroona were effectively the same place).
In the same year there were two more listings; one a Wayside House Licence issued to William Warwick (who we assume was Sara’s husband) for Drakebrook Arms Hotel and in the same month there was a Provisional Licence issued to Alfred Thomas Prout for the Drakes Brook Hotel.
The first indication of a licence for the original Waroona Hotel was granted to William McNeil in July 1899 and the Police Gazette (pg 206) listed it as a Provisional Licence and then in October 1899 (pg. 304) the licence was upgraded to a General Publican’s Licence.
In the meantime, the Farmers Arms Hotel located at Brookside house continued operating for about four years until November 1903, when David McClure applied to have his publication’s licence transferred to a new two storey building located on lots 64 and 65 Fouracre Street in the Waroona townsite. The transfer took place in 1904 and the name was altered to the New Farmers Arms Hotel. This is where the current Waroona Hotel now stands.
The original Waroona Hotel registered by William McNeil was located on Lot 1 McNeil Road, where the cattle yards are located near Coronation Road. For those not familiar to the area, it is on the other side of the railway line from the present location of the current Waroona Hotel. McNeil’s old Waroona Hotel was listed in the Post Office directory for the last time as a hotel in 1928. For a period, the building was used as a boarding house before closing, and finally being demolished in 1967.
(The above information has been provided by Anthony Horne of the Waroona community).

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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.