“Time Gentlemen” A History of the Hotel Industry in Western Australia by Caroline de Mori
Published 1987, ISBN 1862527695
“Time Gentleman’ by Caroline de Mori
“Time Gentlemen’ traces the history of the hotel industry in Western Australia since the first liquor licences were granted to seven humble dwellings in Perth, January of 1830 to the sophisticated industry of today.
I can recommend this excellent book to anyone interested in hotels and those who run them. The pub or hotel is part of the social fabric of even the smallest town in Western Australia. There is a whole section on the hotels and hotel keepers of the Goldfields, as you will know were well catered for certainly before 1924. The photographs of Goldfields hotel featured are as follows:-
Club Hotel – Southern Cross
South Yilgarn Hotel – Marvel Loch
Marvel Loch Hotel – Marvel Loch
The Bodallin Hotel – Bodallin
The Exchange Hotel (The first one, not the one that we now know) Kalgoorlie
The Railway Hotel – Between Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie
Palace Hotel – Kalgoorlie
Mt Lyell Hotel – Kalgoorlie
The Globe Hotel – Kalgoorlie
The Australia Hotel – Kalgoorlie
The Challenge Hotel – Boulder
The Bardoc Hotel – Bardoc
The cover photo is of the Grand Hotel, Menzies which burnt down in 1924. It is often mistaken for the only hotel which remains in the main street in Menzies today which is the Menzies Hotel. Many of the states more well know ‘Licenced Victuallers’ (just love that title) are also featured. A well know former president of the LVA, Reg Harrison, in 1922 was know to say, “It is a regrettable but true fact that our business always shows its worse side to the world. A villain of the most despicable type can walk the streets with impunity but a man under the influence of liquor is a walking advertisement against us”.
The book is available for loan at our local library or can be purchased from the ‘West Australian Hotels Association” Perth.
Moya Sharp
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Hi Moya, a question I’m hoping you know the answer to. I’m researching Thomas Dent of the Happy Immigrant Hotel in Barrack Street during the troublesome early 1830s and have come across mention of Mayos Bar and the Perth Hotel, but can’t find very much about them anywhere I’ve looked. Have you heard of these places and if so, any idea where I might find a little more out about them?
Best wishes,
Ciaran Lynch
Hi Ciaran The best place to look wouylod be the WA Post Office Directories:- http://slwa.wa.gov.au/find/guides/wa_history/post_office_directories
If you go to the ‘Trades’ section in each year there is a section for Hoteliers and will give the name and the licensee for each hotel. You will be able to find them by tracking them through the years.
Another source is the book ‘Time Gentlemen’ by Caroline de Mori A history of the Hotel Industry in Western Australia, both the hotels you mention are in this book. You shouldnt have any trouble getting it through your local library loan. The ISBN is:- 1862527695
Hope this helps
Moya
Many thanks Moya, I’ll go to the directory and also seek out a copy of Caroline’s book. Best wishes, Ciaran