Bangemall Wayside Hotel (fmr), Cobra Station

Statement of Significance

The former Bangemall Hotel has high historic significance as one of the few surviving examples of the wayside hotels which used to be scattered throughout the north west. It has further historic significance for its association with, the Bangemall goldfield area and Percy St Ayliffe. The Hotel was an important centre in this isolated area for pioneer pastoralists, gold miners, drovers and camel teamsters. Although the building has been subjectedto some modification, there remains considerable evidence of the original adobe building and stone kitchenb. The aesthetic significance of the place is enhanced by its attractive location amongst established gardens near a creek.

Physical Description

The former Bangemall Hotel is a simple building with adobe walls and a hipped corrugated iron roof. The roof extends to cover the verandah which is supported on bush timber posts. The building originally consisted of four rooms with a central corridor. There is a stone kitchen to the rear south-east corner with a hipped corrugated iron roof and an office to the south west corner of the building. The building has timber framed casement windows and is set amongst established gardens. The grave of Mr John Ashley Cooper, the Mining Registrar, who died in February 1898, is located to the north of the former hotel.

History

The Bangemall goldfields were first discovered by prospector Jack Horrigan in 1894. Word seen spread of the gold finds, attracting other diggers to the field which was located in a belt of auriferous country running east and west about 8 miles long by 2 miles wide between the Centipede Range and Mts. Phillips and Samuel. With more and more diggers arriving in the area and leases being pegged out, a warden's court was established in 1897. Capitaiising on the growth in population of the area, a hotel and store were established at Bangemall. it is unclear as to when exactly the Bangemall Hotel. which until 1927 was known as the Euranni Hotel, was built. It is believed that the hotel was built in c1897 by Percy St Barbe Ayiiffe, a prospector whose name is included on a 1905 application to renew a Wayside House Licence for the Euranni Wayside Hotel. The application further states that Ayiiffe had already held the wayside licence for the premise for 7 years. Percy St Barbe Ayiiffe first went to the Bangemall goldfields in 1895. In 1903, in partnership with Mr Alf Oakley, he pioneered Mt Phillip Station, and three years later in 1906 had a general store at Gascoyne Junction. In 1913 the Hotel -was owned by Greg Glass, who was followed by Joseph Senior O'Connor and then six months later by Charles Cornish. Due to Licensing Board requirements Cornish had accommodation built for guests consisting of a corrugated iron building immediately to the west of the hotel, it -was Charles Comish who on 12 January 1927 changed the name from Euranni Wayside House to Bangemail Hotel. Subsequent licensees of the hotel include George William Frederick Mead. Joseph Reid. Joseph King, George Bruce Gaskin and Bill and Tena Stidworthy from 1934. The effects of the Second World War resulted in the Stidworthy's selling the Hotel to Francis William LeNephew. who died of pneumonia shortly after. The lease changed hands for the last time when Albert Constantina Sorrensen took over. When the hotel lease came up for renewal in 1940. Sorrensen did not apply for a renewal. When Ben Wilson bought the Cobra lease in 1948 he also purchased the Bangemall Hotel -which he used as his homestead: the original homestead being used as the shearers' quarters. -'Place No. 12' in 1967 the lease passed into the hands of Bob and Maxine Bozanich and then, in 1979 John and Jill Gerney bought the lease. in 1980 a syndicate CT* Perth cusmessmen headed by Peter Eaten bought the lease with the aim of securing the licence back for the Bangemall Hotel and establishing a tourist centre. The current owners. Dennis and Alexa Lang, purchased the property in 1989. (McDonald. R., 'Winning the Gascoyne'. Hesperian Press. Perth. 1991. cc.75-35 1 McDonaic. P., "Geld in -he Gascoyne" Hesperian Press. Per

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: Medium

Condition

Good

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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