Commercial Hotel

Statement of Significance

The significance of Dowerin's Commercial Hotel lies in its design and construction.
FW Gustav Liebe who built the hotel in 1908 also constructed His Majesty's Theatre, Hay St Perth, and The Peninsular Hotel, Maylands, both of which are on the State Register of Heritage Buildings. Changes made to the fabric can be identified and illustrate periods of prosperity in Dowerin.

Physical Description

The Commercial Hotel is a two storey brick building with a verandah. Downstairs there is a bar, dining room, kitchen, two bedrooms and an imposing entry and hallway. There are 2 staircases leading to the upper level where there are 25 bedrooms. The hotel was extended in the 1920's and has been altered from time to time. However pressed tin ceilings, jarrah fittings, fireplaces and staircases recall the grandeur of the first plans. The fabric is sound.

History

Considerable rivalry was attached to the advent of Dowerin's hotel. In March 1908, at the quarterly meeting of the Northam Licensing Court, no less than four provisional license applications were received for proposed premises. Margaret Heerey proposed enlarging a building on Lot 1 that her husband had begun erecting with locally made bricks the previous year (C.F. Fraser Dowerin 1897-1929 Dowerin Road Board 1929, p.21 and The Northam Advertiser 1 May & 27 November 1907 & 4 January 1908), W.H.A. Phillips had almost completed brick and stone premises designed as a hotel on Lots 31 and 32 (The Northam Advertiser 25 January & 19 February 1908), while Arthur S. Munyard and Joseph P. Devlin proposed erecting their buildings on Lots 34 and 4 respectively. Mrs Heerey's application was rejected because the Licensing Bench did not believe she could complete the building. Phillips faced opposition because of a technical flaw in his plans and because his premises were opposite the agricultural hall where church services were held. He would later utilise the building as a hostel with a gallon license. After considerable argument, the provisional certificate was eventually granted to Devlin, a Northam draper who had the backing of wine merchant, Barnot Rogalasky, also of Northam, and was purchasing the adjoining Lot 5 to increase the hotel frontage. (The Northam Advertiser 4 March 1908)

Devlin's architect, Richard J. Dennehy, had designed a two-storey brick building with a 16ft x 13ft dining room, a 16ft x 12ft kitchen, scullery, storeroom, one sitting room 16ft x 12ft, another 14ft x 12ft, a bar and a billiard room on the ground floor. Upstairs there were twelve bedrooms, a third sitting room, bathrooms and linen closet. The walls were to be 12ft high upstairs and lift downstairs, and the estimated cost was £2,500. (The Northam Advertiser 4 March 1908) The construction contract was let to F.W. Gustav Liebe of Milligan Street, Perth, work commenced in August under Dennehy's supervision and the hotel was completed about 23 November 1908. (The Northam Advertiser 29 August, 3 October, 25 November & 9 December 1908) Alex Gordon supervised the furnishing. The completed building was lit throughout with acetylene gas lights and cost close on £3,000. (The Northam Advertiser 9 January 1909)

Although a full publican's licence was applied for within a fortnight, the Northam Licensing Court had no power to grant an immediately effective licence, so the opening had to be put off until 1 January the following year. (The Northam Advertiser 9 December 1908) Devlin and Rogalasky further enlarged their holding by purchasing part of Lot 3 from Edwin Lawliss in December 1908 (DOLA -CT 434/130), then transferred the license to Frank L. Rose who took up a seven year lease of the property with Alex Gordon as his manager. (The Northam Advertiser 9 January & 17 February 1909 and DOLA - CT 423/146) The opening of the Commercial Hotel on New Year's Day 1909 was celebrated in lavish style. About 100 people attended and some 75 residents partook of the midday meal at the invitation of the licensee. (The Northam Advertiser 9 January 1909)

The solid construction of the building was put to the test just six weeks after the opening when a tornado hit Dowerin. The original agricultural hall was totally destroyed and many buildings in the town were severely damaged, but the hurricane winds and torrential rain had little effect on the hotel. A large galvanised iron tank just obtained by Rose was lifted off its stand, blown hundreds of metres and left in a battered and useless condition. A second empty water tank at the hotel would have suffered the same fate had it not been held down by several men until the rain partially filled it and anchored it down. But the building itself remained untouched. (The Northam Advertiser 24 February 1909)
T.J. Conroy managed the hotel for Rose for twelve months in 1911-12, but had to give it up because of ill health. Bert Teague of billiard fame took over from him and was there for a number of years. (The Goomailling-Dowerin Mail 13 February 1912) After Rose's lease expired at the end of 1916, subsequent licensees were H.E. Hardy and F.J. Littlewood. ('Postal Directories' 1910-1919) But, in June 1919, Joseph Devlin bought out Rogalasky's interest and took over the license personally for several years. (DOLA - CTs 423/146 & 425/17 and 'Postal Directories' 1920-1922) During that period he sold the northern portion of Lot 5. (DOLA - CT 712/168)
In November 1921 Devlin leased the property to Alexander A. Leitch. (DOLA - CT 742/86) Apparently the twelve year old building was beginning to look a little run down because Leitch gave the place something of a facelift, advertising in September 1922 that the hotel had been thoroughly renovated throughout. (Central Districts Advocate 16 September 1922) He relinquished control of the hotel on 27 December 1926, after the property had been purchased by Alfred O. Rippon. (DOLA - CT 742/86 and The Northam Advertiser 1 December 1926)
Rippon, late of the Commercial Hotel, Busselton, decided the place required extensive alterations and additions. Plans for a new wing were prepared by Messrs Poole and Mowritzen, a design that included new dining rooms, four additional bedrooms and other accomodation. Work on these extensions was under way by May 1927 and appears to have been completed by August that year at a cost of about £8,000. (The Northam Advertiser 1 & 15 December 1926 & 7 May & 24 August 1927, The Weekly Gazette 28 January, 25 February & 15 July 1927 and Western Mail 18 July 1929, p.47)
In June 1929, Rippon sold the place for £30,000 to Albert E. Pryce and moved to the Broken Hill Hotel in Victoria Park. (DOLA - CT 742/86, The Dowerin Guardian 1 & 29 June 1929 and Western Mail 18 July 1929, p.47) Pryce too, was reported to have made various alterations to increase the popularity of the hotel. He held the licence for five years, before selling to Amy M. Crisp of the Broken Hill Hotel, Victoria Park, in 1935. Known licensees during the period of Amy Crisp's ownership include George W. Keeley 1936-1942, F.E. Pascoe 1942-1944, V.P. Tippett 1945-1947, George W. Keeley 1949 and Mr & Mrs A.C. (Bert) Francis 1954. ('Postal Directories' 1936-1949 and The Dozverin Guardian 1954)
Amy Crisp died on 31 December 1964 and, on 16 June 1965, probate of her will was granted to Theodore P. Crisp, retired chemist of Melville, and Shane Dunne Paltridge, Senator of South Perth, her executors. On 21 January 1966 Paitridge died leaving Theodore Crisp the sole proprietor as surviving executor. The property was transferred to John and June Evans in 1968, then to Douglas S. Schofield in 1976, Lancaster Nominees Pty. Ltd. in 1985, Kemdea Pty. Ltd. in 1988, Tallabrook Pty. Ltd. in 1989 and Peter L O'Hanlon and Harold D. Luxton in 1993. (DOLA - CTs 1045/608 & 1430/591)

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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.