Top of the Hill Guest House (fmr)

Statement of Significance

Collie River Valley Bed and Breakfast, 41-43 Throssell Street, Collie (formerly 19), a single storey brick and iron commercial premises constructed in about 1899 has cultural heritage significance for its social value as boarding house and formerly as a wine saloon and dining room and for its aesthetic contribution to the Collie streetscape.

Physical Description

41-43 Throssell Street is a single storey brick and iron commercial premises built in 1899. The facade features a simple stepped parapet which hides the roof, and has a simple moulded feature with ESTAB 1899 in raised plaster lettering. Aerial photographs and a view through the central door shows that the 1899 parapet hides evidence of two, possibly three, separate buildings behind the façade.

History

The Post Office Directories for Collie do not provide street numbers until 1934. These list only Ada Orsatti at the address between 1940 and 1946 and Jack Orsatti (her husband) in 1947 (Jack Orsatti owned a garage in Throssell Street). Ada died in 1949.
A photograph on the Memories of Collie Facebook page from around the 1960s indicates that the eastern end of the place was used as a ‘Dining Room’. Comments on the page note the existence of a ‘wine saloon’ there.
By the 1980’s it was known as ‘The Top of the Town Guest House’ and was owned by Eddie Woods who also was the proprietor of the Federal Hotel. Woods changed the name to the “Cassandra Jayne Guest House” in remembrance of a deceased daughter. Following Wood’s death, the property had another owner and another change of name – Collie River Valley Bed and Breakfast. In 2010 the proprietors were David and Cathy Lewis.
In October 2015, the place was known as Collie Budget and Workers Accommodation.

Integrity/Authenticity

High/ Medium-High

Condition

Good

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Disclaimer

This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.