Coolgardie Pioneer 24 December 1898, page 38
THE MAYOR AND HIS ESTABLISHMENT
“I don’t want no pioneering life, take me back to Collingwood.”
This was the strain sung by an Eastern states poet who visited and was disgusted with these fields in the early days. Fortunately for the country, the majority of the old-timers, although having to surmount apparently unsurmountable difficulties, battled along in preference to returning, more stoney broke than when they arrived, to their respective “Collingwoods” Amongst these staunch battlers to whom the country owes so much may be numbered J T Glowrey of this town.
Five years ago in 1893, the present Mayor, Mr John Thomas Glowrey, ‘swamped-it’ up from Southern Cross to Coolgardie. He admits that on his arrival here he was not overburdened with wealth, and, like many good men before him, he started out to find his fortune with a ‘shaker.’ However, he found that dry blowing, though an extremely interesting occupation, was in his case a decidedly unprofitable one. He took to prospecting, and his peregrinations carried him all over the then-known fields. He was one of the prospectors of the New Victoria Consols mine, and as far as known at present was the first man to peg out the Black Flag Proprietary, and was certainly the first man to get gold from that reef.
Eventually, Mr Glowrey realised that there was gold in the publican’s business in this city, more so in many cases than in the mining line, and straightway possessed himself of the Royal Hotel, Bayley street, pictured below. This place was built just about three years ago, and to it belongs the distinction of having been the first two storey building in Coolgardie.
The Royal Hotel, Bayley Street, Coolgardie
The Royal Hotel Coolgardie – The Dining room
Among the first persons to sleep in the newly-erected hostelry was Mr. Alex Forrest, brother of the Premier. The hotel is one of the finest in the town at the present day. It has splendid saloons, an excellent dining hall, fine large sitting rooms and parlors, and big, airy bedrooms, besides a very fine balcony. The whole place is lit throughout with electric light, and the danger of fire is nil, as the bedrooms are constructed solely of nonflammable material. The dining room above mentioned is the best in town, and is capable of seating upwards of 160 persons, and in it daily are to be seen all the principal citizens of this centre. The room is fitted with rotary punkahs, and altogether bears an air of thorough comfort and refinement. The Royal is noted for its good liquors, and Mr Glowrey claims that a better selection of wines, spirits etc,
cannot be found in the colonies.
Mayor and Mayoress J T Glowrey
This hotel is a favorite resort of mining men, Mr Glowrey himself being so closely identified with industry conducing largely to this, so that it is invariably the rule amongst mining visitors to the city to look out the Royal straight away.
The Truth – Perth – 29 Jun 1907 pg 6
The hotel is connected by telephone with the local exchange, and from the office Kalgoorlie may be spoken to. Mr Glowrey runs in connection with the hotel a small farm, which supplies him with fresh eggs, milk, butter, pork, etc. Speaking with a representative of this journal the other evening, Mr Glowrey stated that when he came to the colony he had no intention of remaining here, but he now holds so large interests on the fields that he cannot very well get away. And,’ he added, I now look at it this way—where in the East will I do better than I am at present.’
Mr Glowrey’s election to the Municipal Council at the latter end of 1898 marked his first appearance in local public life, and it speaks volumes for his popularity and his estimable qualities as a citizen, when the fact is mentioned that he was elected to the Chief Magistracy of the town exactly a year after he took his seat in the chamber for the first time. He held the position of Mayor of Coolgardie from 1898-1899.
The Palace Hotel, Perth – Daily News 10 October 1916, page 7
John Thomas Glowrey was born in 1856 in Mepunga Victoria. He was the son of James Glowrey and Eliza nee Barry. In 1878 he married Nora Youlden at the age of 22yrs, there were three children of the marriage, John Tracey born 1883, James Henry born 1886 and Evelyn born 1887. In 1887 Nora died. He then married Hannah Marion ‘Jo’ Ryan in 1890 in Victoria, three more children were born, Lindsay Gordon born 1891, Irene Eliza born 1892 & Mary born and died in 1892, possibly a twin to Irene.
Three of the Glowrey children – Evelyn standing, Lindsay and Irene seated.
In 1900 John moved his family to Perth where he bought the Palace Hotel. he die in Perth aged 63yrs in June 1921 and is buried Roman Catholic section of the Karrakatta Cemetery. He was joined by Hannah in 1927. His eldest son, John Tracey Glowrey is also buried with John and Hannah in the same grave.
Moya Sharp
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