The Marvel Bar Hotel – Coolgardie
The Marvel Bar Hotel is at 31-33 Bayley Street, Coolgardie. The current building was built in 1898, next to the Western Australian Bank. The first hotel on the site was a single storey iron building. In 1996 it was occupied by the Coolgardie RSL and still is today. The building which is two story, and of brick and iron, has the main feature of an elaborate street facade. The parapet wall has the name in relief. It was closed as a hotel in 1927.
The Marvel Bar Hotel Coolgardie – 2015
The first building on the site was the premises occupied as a store, owned by Messrs. Arnold Lamb and Leiper. The first licensee of the weatherboard and galvanised iron hotel was Jack McGregor. He envisioned it as a place ‘Cool and Pleasant’ which it eventually became, with punkahs keeping the air moving in both the public and private bars where drinks cost nine pence. Mr McGregor was the licensee for most of the hotels life.
The First Marvel Bar Hotel on left c 1896
The Marvel Bar Hotel quickly became a favorite with the miners, because they were always welcome, irrespective of how they were dressed. Cheap meals were also available, and any prospector down on his luck was never turned away.
Kalgoorlie Miner 2 June 1897, page 3
On June 28, 1898 the building, which had for so long represented the early style of structures erected in the early days, was demolished and replaced with the present-day two-storey stone building, reflecting the opulence of the town when the population peaked at 15,000. In 1900 the building sported a ground floor street verandah.
Marvel Bar Hotel with Verandah 1900
The Marvel Bar was one of the four hotels still operating in 1916, but was badly damaged ten years later by a cyclone. The buildings and fittings were then bought by Michael Moran for ₤160. In 1934 Mick Moran made an unsuccessful application to the Liquor Licencing Board for a liquor licence for the Marvel Bar.
Kalgoorlie Miner 14 January 1905, page 10
The building is now occupied by the Coolgardie RSL. I have not yet been able to find out where the name “Marvel Bar’ came from, does anyone know? There have been various suggestions over the years such as the name of a London Hotel and that of a race horse.
The Marvel Bar Hotel with the Western Australian Bank next door.
Moya Sharp
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Hi Moya..Have just located my grandfather’s burial site which is in Boulder Cemetery Is it possible for you to send me a photo of it, if there is one ? His name was David Lewis Davies.. died Aug 2 1911 aged 33 Grave 41 Section H … My mother was only 2 1/2 at the time & doesn’t remember him but knows that he died from pneumonia, a fitter & turner by trade & was born in Wales . no other info re him. My grandmother also lost a 4 month old daughter called Amelia that same year Don’t know at tyjthis stage where she is buried. but I keep looking. Life sure was tough in those days. Thankyou. Evelyn.
Hi Evelyn I have a friend who often takes photos for people so I have emailed hwer to ask to add your request to her list. I had a look for baby Amelia and the only one I can find is as follows:-
Davies Amelia V Female Northam 412 1911
Could this be her do you think?
Hi Moya
I believe the name of the Marvel Bar Hotel comes from an old english saying “Marvell’s Bar”.
As you have stated JD Macgregor built the Marvel Bar Hotel, in 1897. A canny Scotsman, he previously pegged the ‘Queen of the Earth’ leases at Yerilla; claimed the 200 pound reward; and reportedly sold his leases for 20,000pounds (probably shares in the Golden Mountain float) which is about $6.5million today. He fell in love and married a dance hall girl from next door at the Cremorne Theatre, Lily, who was one of the “acrobatic singing and dancing” Anderson Sisters. They had a daughter Mygnet who grew up and joined her mother on stage to travel the world, eventualy to become quite famous from New York to London and Sydney. They became legendary in early Vaudeville of Australia.
Macgregor sold the hotel in 1914 apparently due to ill health. Not much more is known about him from what I can gather.
John Duncan Macgregor was obviously ‘well-read’ as seen in his use of classic phrases from literature in his advertisements; and in the naming of ‘Queen of the Earth’ gold lease; which was the name of a poem by H.L. Darcy Jaxone, a popular poet and songwriter at the time.
The main clue to the poetic origins of The Marvel Bar are in the Poems of Andrew Marvell (1621 – 1678) who was an English metaphysical poet, satirist and politician. (Wikipedia, 2024). Andrew Marvell’s poems were characterized with debates on theological and philosophical themes while Marvell was a bon vivant (I have no doubt that Macgregor also saw himself as also a bon vivant), known to live life to the full and indulging in its many pleasures.
In other poems Marvell refers to the ‘…like prisoners at the bar’ where bar is a courtroom. The ‘bar’ or the line drawn between the accused and the accusers; where arguments and put forward and final judgement is made.
So, Marvell’s Bar or The Marvel Bar is a place where healthy debate takes place, and problems are resolved whilst having an enjoyable time.
As a poetry lover, Macgregor couldn’t resist the play on words between Marvell’s Bar and the marvellous bar (pub) he would create.
Macgregor’s intentions were for healthy discussion and debate to occur without fear of repression at his new bustling venue. The Marvel Bar Hotel suggests a place where ideas and thoughts could be marvelled over an ice-cold beer. He also succeeded to this day for all of us to simply marvel at the amazing edifice he built. As it has to be the most photographed building in regional Western Australia.