Crown Hotel

Statement of Significance

Crown Hotel, 113 Throssell Street, Collie, constructed in the Federation Filigree style of architecture in about 1901, has cultural heritage significance. Although its second-storey verandahs and much of the detailing has been lost it makes a positive contribution to the streetscape of Collie. It has historic and social value as an important social venue for generations, having been in continuous operation as a hotel since 1901 and it contributes to the community’s sense place.

Physical Description

Crown Hotel, built c1910 is a two storey painted/renderd brick and iron hotel in the Federation Filigree style of architecture, with a central decorative half circle to the parapet roof. It has lost its original upper storey verandah roof and balcony. There is a flat steel shelter above the windows of the uppoer floor, and a suspended iron roof over the pavement. Door and window openings to the ground floor have arched heads. On the top floor the door has been closed off. There are six timber sash windows to the upper floor facing the street. The west side of the buiding is red face brick. The east aide abuts the adjacent building with a dividing fire wall.

History

The Crown Hotel is first recorded in the Post Office Directories in 1902 with F W Crow as proprietor. Mr Crow was recorded at the Colliefields Hotel in the previous 2 years.

The Southern Times of 20 July 1901 (p3) records the opening of the Crown Hotel and describes it as a ‘valuable addition to the houses of accommodation at Collie’. The building is a very commodious one and is fitted throughout with the most up-to-date furniture and appliances.’ The article describes the hotel’s facilities including the spacious vestibule, dining room (24 x 20ft), ‘unusually well fitted suite of kitchens’, commercial room, sitting room, bar, saloon bar and billiard room. Fourteen rooms, including a drawing room, club room, eleven bedrooms (mostly single bed) and two bathrooms (one each for ladies and gentlemen) were located upstairs. The balcony measured 66 x 12 feet. The hotel, which was to open on 20 July 1901, cost approximately £3,000 with an additional £750 for furnishing. The hotel would be managed by Mr and Mrs Crow.

The Post Office Directories only show Mr Crow at the Crown Hotel in 1902 with JH Luke recorded for the next three years. The next nine years see a number of licensees at the hotel until AA McManus is shown in the Directories from 1915 to 1923. William Potter, P Meagher and WE Chick are listed at the Crown Hotel between 1926 and 1934, followed by RF Gray from 1935 until 1940, and AC Rigg from 1942 until 1949 when the Post Office Directories cease.

1921 saw hotels in Collie and elsewhere delicensed. An earlier poll had determined that at least one, but up to three, hotels in Collie should be delicensed. During the enquiry is was stated that both the Crown and Victoria Hotels ‘were in the centre of the town and were very necessary for the continuance of business, and that if either of these licences were affected it would cause very great public inconvenience’. The enquiry determined that the Miners Arms Hotel on Throssell Street should be the only hotel to lose its licence (South Western Times 17 September 1921, p5)

The Crown Hotel was sold by the Ginninup Vale Pastoral Company for £10,000 to Mr E Morgan in March 1929 (The West Australian 21 March 1929, p18). In January 1930, it was sold again, this time to the Swan Brewery for £13,250.
The Sunday Times reported that Mr Roy Gray, proprietor of the Crown Hotel for nearly 5 years, proposed alterations to the hotel at a cost of more than £2,000 (20 August 1939, p20).

In 1940 proposed improvements to the hotel were reported, including a 50ft main bar, saloon bar, a lounge, large entrance hall and tiled front walls. Five new rooms and four bathrooms and a septic system were proposed at a cost of £700 and refrigeration system (£600) would be installed. Total cost of the works was approximately £5,000 and was to be undertaken by the licensee (RF Gray) and the Swan Brewery Ltd (The West Australian 3 February 1940, p16). The reconstructed and refurnished Crown Hotel was opened by the Mayor, Mr J Morrison (The West Australian 1 July 1940, p14).

Mr and Mrs Alan Pascall of the Crown Hotel were farewelled in July 1952. Mr and Mrs Powell took over management of the hotel (Sunday Times 20 July 1952, p24S).

The Crown Hotel continues to operate as a hotel with accommodation available.

Integrity/Authenticity

High/ Medium

Condition

Fair - 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.