Once a Starr always a Star!

These days most local residents expect airconditioned houses and cars and an annual holiday as a matter of course, but this was far from the life that confronted Millicent Rose Starr for most of her life. She was born in 1910 in the Gold Mining Town of Mt Morgans as Millicent Rose Buckman. Young Rose came to Kalgoorlie where upon the death of her father, her mother ran the South Kalgoorlie Hotel, which was located on the corner of Davidson and Salisbury Roads. This was the beginning of a long association with the hotel industry in both Kalgoorlie and Esperance.

Rose Starr nee Buckman

As 16 year old Rose helped her mother pour beers and make sandwiches for the regulars and the players from the Railways Football Club. She would also entertain the crowd by playing the piano – something she learnt to play by ear. After spending a few years in Perth she returned to Kalgoorlie where she met and married Bert (Bertram) Starr in 1938 and once again she was associated with local hotels – this time the Star and Garter in Hannan Street but as the spelling of the name suggests it was not named after Bert. There was a chain of hotels all over the world with the same name starting in London. (editors note:- my brother married in a pub in the North of England called the Star and Garter) Bert had taken the hotel over from his father Francis Starr who had in turn taken over the licence from his mother before him.

Throughout WWII she ran the hotel and raised her three children:- Frank, Gwenda and Marie. She was to bury young Frank who died of Meningitis at the age of 4yrs. After the war her courage and fortitude were again tested when Bert suffered a series of strokes and then died – leaving Rose to run the hotel and raise her two girls. She did this buy working from 5am until midnight until she moved to Esperance where she continued to work in hotels. For many years she was a regular sight at the Esperance jetty and was somewhat of an expert on the local fishing scene and despite the hardships of life she maintained a marvelous sence of humour, generosity and grace.

Star and Garter Hotel

Each year the following item on the same date would be published on the ‘Public Notices’ section of the Kalgoorlie Miner From –  30.1.1958

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN
Francis Clement PETTIT
Horace Claude WHITCHURCH
Bertram STARR
Leonard Steinhouser WHITELEY
Edward Lisle PERCY
The 30th day of January in each year
being the day set aside for the celebration
of the birthday of the above
mentioned gentlemen
(mentioned in order of seniority)
they hereby announce that as far as they are concerned,
today, Thursday, will be a public holiday
and anyone else who would like the day off can have one too.
For and On Behalf of the company
H C (Chum) Whitchurch
WARNING:
There will be no free beer at either the
Federal or the Star and Garter hotel

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Moya Sharp

Owner at Outback Family History

My name is Moya Sharp, I live in Kalgoorlie Western Australia and have worked most of my adult life in the history/museum industry. I have been passionate about history for as long as I can remember and in particular the history of my adopted home the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia. Through my website I am committed to providing as many records and photographs free to any one who is interested in the family and local history of the region.

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