1:- The Australia Hotel:-
First appears in the newspapers in 1895 and the first Licensee was Wilson DUNNE. LOcated in Bayley Street opposite the Post Office. Now where Ben Priors Park is situated. It seems to have been demolished in about 1919.
Goldfields Morning Chronicle 22 July 1898
The Australia Hotel Coolgardie Billiard Room
The Australia Hotel Coolgardie Saloon Bar
Australia Goldfields Morning Chronicle 22 July 1898, page 2
2. The Lion Hotel, Cnr Renou and Sylvester Sts, Coolgardie.
The Lion Hotel Coolgardie
The Lion Hotel was one of the string of hotels built by (Judah) Vincent and (Isaac) Lipman. It operated alongside the Lion Brewery untill about 1916 when there was an application to transfer the liquor licence by MrsBottrill. It appears in the WA Post Office Directories for the last time in 1917. It is not known when the building was demolished.
Lion Hotel with the Lion Brewery in the background, Coolgardie 1900
3:- The Cremorne Hotel and Gardens AKA the Prince of Wales.
It was originally a Hop Beer shop owned by Harry Horst and his wife who built the present building which they were forced to relinquish due to ill-health. In 1896, when the dining room was demolished, 5 ozs of alluvial gold was found. Three months later, in March 1897, the foundation stone of Harry Fein’s Cremorne Hotel was laid by the Mayoress, Mrs A.W. McDonald, who received a miniature silver trowel to mark the occasion.
Harry Fein, a former auctioneer, completely renovated the premisses, laying out bars and rooms and renamed it The Prince of Wales Bar and Dining Rooms. Being centrally located opposite Morans store it commanded a large patronage.
Cremorne Hotel Bailey Street Coolgardie (Centre)
The main dining room was the venue for the first circumcision ceremony on 2 May 1896 when Rabbi Mylis officiated and the Fein’s infant son was introduced to a large family gathering.
The Cremorne Gardens featured landscaped scenery adorning the walls with Chinese lanterns and golden ballsuspended from the ceilings. In one corner was a small stage for performers. The design of the gardens included a piazza with a removable roof to protect the patrons from sun and rain. In summer it was converted into ‘grotto’s’ where tired businessmen could smoke their odoriferous cigars. The Theatre was open every night and attracted a number of theatrical companies and music hall performers to entertain the patrons and who would happily pay 2 to 3 shillings admission
The Cremorne Hotel 1987
A year later, in 1898, the hotel and adjoining Cremorne Gardens Theatre was taken over by Vincent and Lipman who made a number of improvements including a polished floor for use as a ballroom and a gallery and a ladies robing room. The Cremorne continued to change hands until 1918 when Mr and Mrs Steve Keale took it over, refurnishing it and opening a new dining room.
Cremorne Theatre and gardens Coolgardie
After a number of changes in ownership over the next few years, the lease, licence and furniture were sold for ₤200 and four months later were again put on the market.
When the Cremorne finally closed down it was bought by Michael Moran the Second, and for a time was used as a Children’s Day Centre followed by a private residence and then an art gallery.
The Cremorne Hotel Coolgardie – 2016
The Coolgardie Hotel, Corner of Bayley and Renou Sts, Coolgardie.
The Coolgardie Hotel, 1896 Mrs Mary Ann Shannahan is standing beside the telegraph pole with x
The licence for the Coolgardie Hotel was first issued to the Mandlestram Bros – Sam and Herman – in April 1893, but within a year they sold to Fred Baker who continued to:-
‘cater for the thirsty, moderately for the hungry, and hardly at all for the sleepy’.
Baker sold the hotel to H.W. Evans on the understanding that he would build new premises that ‘would come to the expectations of the town’s advancing civilisation’ but before this undertaking had been honoured Evans sold out to Jack Lord who rebuilt the hotel before he sold it to Ned Reynolds in 1895.
The Coolgardie again changed hands when it was taken over by Robert Shannon who held the licence for a number of years. In 1909, the Licensing Police objected to the renewal of the hotel’s licence and on July 20 the following year – with ₤32 owing for municipal and water rates – the building was sold for ₤100 to Sam Rowe who promptly pulled it down.
The Coolgardie Hotel (Bottom left Corner) Taken from the Exhibition Building. Morans Store in the Centre.
Moya Sharp
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I used to live in Coolgardie when I was young, and there were two hotels left at the time, The Denver City and Railway Hotel. You could do a hotel crawl. My mother actually worked at the Denver City. I also can remember Ben Priors garage, and he had a block of land across from where I lived at the Post Office quarters, and had also sorts of oddments there, from horse carts,and do have a photograph of this.
This was in the 1960’s. Great village of people lived there at the time. I was married at the little Catholic Church, and lived in a small house first of all in Kings Street – tin house very hot in summer. Then moved to the Law Court Building to a flat at the back,then to the Post Office quarter.
We lived in Coolgardie in the 80’s. on the corner of Sylvester st and Lefroy Street. There was a hotel on that block too, but we could never find out any information about it