McKee’s Denver City Hotel:

DENVER CITY HOTEL,   Corner of Bayley and Lefroy Streets, Coolgardie.

The Denver City Hotel is a fine new building, of brick and stone, situate at the corner of Bayley street and Lefroy street, in Coolgardie. Its position is very convenient for travellers, as it is not far from the railway station while on the other hand, it is in the main street of the town, and only a few minutes walk from the public offices and the Post Office. The house has been newly furnished throughout, and in every way the comfort of its visitors has been specially studied. The lessee, Mr William Bruce McKee is a gentleman well-known to both Victorians and South Australians. He was formerly in the service of the Victorian Railway Department for fourteen years, and had for some time charge of the sleeping cars on the line between Melbourne and Adelaide. In this capacity his courtesy and efforts to oblige his passengers earned him the good will of all who travelled comfortably by his cars. Mr McKee has also had a long experience in hotel keeping. He was for eight years the lessee of the Three Crowns Hotel, in North Melbourne, and has also held the Fitzroy Arms Hotel, in King street; the Victoria Hotel, in Hoddle street, Collingwood; and also the Recreation Hotel, in Spencer street.

Dining Room Denver City Hotel 1898

The Denver City Hotel is a large two-storey building, with suites of rooms for family use, and a large number of bedrooms. All of these are well lighted, and well furnished, and scrupulously tidy. It may be stated, in explanation of the air of comfort which pervades the house, that the internal management devolves upon Mrs McKee. A conference of members of all the West Australian municipalities was held some time ago at Coolgardie, and of these gentlemen many put up at the Denver City Hotel. They were so pleased with the efforts made for their comfort that prior to leaving for their homes they invited Mr and Mrs McKee to a champagne luncheon, and expressed their sense of obligation to himself, and especially to Mrs McKee. The public portions of the establishment are also well looked after. The dining room and reading rooms are all very comfortable and airy. We present here in audition to a picture of the hotel, one of the dining room. In the former picture, by the way, the figure of Mr McKee I can easily be picked out, owing to to the fact that he is the tallest man in the group.
The Denver City Hotel is a very popular house among sporting men for meetings of football and other clubs are held here. Mr McKee is fast earning I well deserved popularity in Coolgardie. The Denver City Hotel was, some time ago the scene of a daring attempted robbery. Mr McKee was alone in a barroom, one afternoon, when several men walked in and attacked him, the object being robbery. Mr McKee’s great  strength served him to good purpose and the house breakers were beaten but not until they had inflicted several injuries upon Mr McKee. Two of the men, James Sherbrooke and Jim I McIntyre. were, on 10th March last, sentenced to seven years imprisonment and a third, James McCarthy, was sentenced to  twenty two months imprisonment.