Edwards Royal Hotel – Coolgardie Lot 31, Cnr Ford and Bayley Streets, Coolgardie
Edwards Royal Hotel (on Right) Coolgardie
Rudy Krakouver’s Hotel was the first two story hotel in Coolgardie and opened for business in June 1895. Later the Edwards family took over the hotel and claimed the hotel offered ‘Superior accommodation and attractive waiters’.
The catering at the Royal was excellent, only the best of everything being considerd good enough for its ‘Discriminating Clientel’ who were served with black coffee after dinner each night, on the commodious balcony overlooking Bayley Street.
On November 23rd, a Scotsman, McCleod MATHIESON, (known as the Opal King of Queensland), fell off the balcony and was killed. This was unfortunate for him as some hours earlier he had been paid £15,000 ($30,000) for a mining lease he held.
The Royal Hotel (two story on right) Coolgardie
Early in 1896, the licence was transferred to the Edwards family who claimed that the Royal had the ‘Superior accommodation and attractive waiters’. Shortly afterwards the licence was transferred to G T Glowert who had been mining at Bonnivale and who was later to be elected Mayor of Coolgardie.
The licence again changed hands when the lease and goodwill were purchased by Arth Travis, one of the owners of the South Carbine mine.
When the Bonnivale Coaching service began operations in 1898, the Royal was the departure point for the coaches which were fitted with the new ‘dust prevention wheels’ which were then becoming in favour.
Sketch of Edwards Royal Hotel, Coolgardie.
When Billy Faahan sold the Club Hotel in 1901, he took control of the Royal for a time until the Edwards family resumed control until 1919 when the building was sold and dismantled.
During the course of the hotels 24yrs in existence there were 12 licensees.
1897 to 1900 = John T Glowery (Later Mayor of Coolgardie)
1901 = Albert Travis (From New Zealand)
1902 = William Michael Faahan – Died 1942 buried Coolgardie wife Cecilia Knighton
1903 = Percy E Dobbie (Died in Northam from an accident in 1928)
1904 = H G Minneken
1905 = Jack Wilson
1906 to 1907 = Mrs Priscilla Lean
1908 to 1909 = Mrs Sallinger
1910 = Michael Noonan
1911 = John R Fraser
1912 to 1913 = Michael ‘Mac’ de Pedro (From Spain)
1914 to 1920 = Andrew D Craig
Royal Hotel with Horse and Cart across the road c 1907
Moya Sharp
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Ms Sharp, Thank you for this interesting website. I am a retired American Army physician who has turned to writing historical fiction. My protagonist is a historical person named Margaret Harkness and I base my stories on her life and travels. She lived in Coolgardie for a while and had a typing service as well as working as a free lance journalist. I would be pleased if I could correspond with you as my research goes forward. I am particularly interested in the mine accident that required a diving suit to rescue a trapped Italian miner. You can look up my debut novel, A Knife in the Fog, and see that for an old beginner, I’m not doing too badly as it was a finalist for an Edgar award for best first novel.
Regards,
Bradley Harper
Hi Bradley Im happy to help fill any historical data that you might need. I have helped a couple of fiction authors with their historical facts. The story about the Rescue of Varischetti that you mention, is indeed a ripping yarn, and one that is widely known. Is this when your person was supposed to have been in Coolgardie? The following is a short story I did on one of the players in the rescue.
https://www.outbackfamilyhistoryblog.com/2017/05/06/legends-hellfire-jack/
The full story has been written in a book called the ‘Entombed Miner’ by Jeff Austen
I just had a look at your first book on Amazon, looks just my sort of book. Im a huge Sherlock Holmes fan and have read nearly every story. In regards to the jack the Ripper tale, you may like to read this story I did on one of the Jack the Ripper Suspects.
https://www.outbackfamilyhistoryblog.com/2014/06/15/jack-the-ripper-on-the-goldfields/
I have added your book to my reading list, well done, I look forward to reading it.!!!