Rose Hotel & Sample Room, Bunbury

Child Places

• 05739 Rose Hotel Bottle Shop & Sample Room

Statement of Significance

RHP

Physical Description

Simple Georgian survival utilitarian forms then common to the town centre and surrounding farms and remodelled in 1897 with Italianate facades and shaded by delicately lace cast iron verandahs in the style introduced from the Eastern States during the gold boom. A billiard room, described as "the most popular in the Colony" existed by 1890. At first floor level, a sun room glazed with stained glass leadlight juts out onto the verandah to the right of the axis of the entrance. The entrance foyer is typically opulent and is further emphasised by a gable in the line of the verandah roof. A sample room in Wellington Street is part of the Hotel complex. The Hotel comprises three storeys although the cast iron verandah previously on the third floor has been removed. A photograph (1904) clearly shows the evolution of the Rose Hotel, with the original structure facing Victoria Street, and the Wellington Street 'gold-boom' addition of two storeys only, attached to a section devoid of verandahs - today the cast-iron balustrade extends the full length of this section. The Wellington Street wing was added in two stages, the first, shortly before 1901 in Federation Filigree style, with a two storey verandah, adjoining the original structure on the corner Victoria and Wellington Streets; the second in Federation Free Style, but without a verandah, to the east. Around 1910, the three storey section was added on the site of the original hotel and its adjoining billiard room. On 10.5.1939, Hough & Son applied for a permit to carry out renovations and alterations for Rose Hotel costing £5000. The Rose with its classical parapets and delicate cast-iron lace balustrades and valances is painted to advantage strong street appeal. Some third floor windows have attractive jalousies in place.

History

Rose Hotel was built c 1865 for Samuel Rose.

When Samuel Rose applied for a licence for a new hotel in Bunbury, it was refused on the grounds that the town already had two hotels. However, the townspeople supported Rose and a number signed a petition that was presented to Governor XX. The Governor instructed the Bench to reconsider their decision and by 1865, a licence was issued. The single storey Rose Hotel was then built on Lot 206 facing Victoria Street.

Samuel Rose had arrived in Western Australia on the ‘Parkfield’ with his wife Mary (nee Hallen) and son Samuel (b 1836). The couple had three more children while residing at Picton – William (1842), John (1846) and Mary (1850). Unfortunately, Mary Rose died during young Mary’s birth and Samuel married widow, Emma Delaporte (nee Penfold) on 18 May 1855. Samuel and Emma had six children together.

Samuel built a modest two storey hotel on Victoria Street, near the corner of Wellington Street. The hotel had a bar and dining room downstairs and four small bedrooms upstairs. The upstairs verandahs were enclosed and there were chimneys at either end of the building.

After Samuel’s death in 1867, Emma ran the Rose Hotel before handing it over to her son, Richard Delaporte. Richard was assisted by Joe Naylor. Following Richard’s management, there were a succession of licencees, including Thomas Spencer, P McArthur, Alex Forbes and A E Bonney. Bonney’s death on the day he took over the licence left his widow to carry on trading. She did this under the name of Tolley and Co until September 1890, when she handed the hotel over to J H Darley. Darley had the hotel for only a short time before it was taken over by J C Illingworth. Circa 1888, a billiard room was added.

The Illingworths soon commenced a program of extensive renovation and additions. The hotel was practically rebuilt in 1897/98, and included a two storey building facing Wellington Street. The new building shared a common rear courtyard with the original building on Victoria Street. Over £7,000 was spent to provide accommodation for 40 guests, a large entrance hall and a fine dining room. There was hot and cold water on tap and Mrs Illingworth was a wonderful hostess. Guests were able to house their horses in a stone wall stable on Wellington Street where the sample room was later built.

The Rose Hotel was a popular destination for holiday makers, visitors to Bunbury and locals alike. In 1901, the Rose Hotel was described as ‘one of the favourite watering places in Western Australia’. The Hotel was situated close to the public seabaths and had good views of Bunbury harbour. From the early 1900s a taxi rank operated from outside the Wellington Street building.

Circa 1904, the original wing was demolished and replaced with a three storey building along Victoria Street, which linked with the two storey wing on Wellington Street. At this time a sample room was built on Wellington Street. Sample rooms were used by travelling salesman to display and sell their wares. The salesman travelled the State by any means possible; train, foot, coastal shipping or horse and buggy, and had to be accommodated in boarding houses or hotels. After World War Two the use of sample rooms declined as travelling salesman became more mobile and independent due to the widespread use of the car and improved road conditions. It is not known when the sample room ceased to be used for this function.

The hotel was often a venue for official civic functions. For example, on Armistice Day to mark the ceasefire to end World War I (11 November 1918), the Bunbury Municipal Band performed before a crowd of about 1,000 people, where rousing renditions of ‘God Save the King and ‘Rule Britannia’ were performed.

Circa 1920, Mrs Nenke (Mrs Illingworth’s sister) became the licencee of the Rose Hotel. Later owners and licencees included John Hithersay, E J Saunders (1932) and lawyer J J Monaghan. Monaghan bought the Rose Hotel in 1939; he had previously purchased the Prince of Wales Hotel in 1937. Monoghan quickly engaged Hough and Son to complete renovations and alterations costing £5,000.

Monaghan was prominent in community affairs, including an extensive period as chair of the Bunbury Race Club, president of the Chamber of Commerce, director of the South West Newspaper Co, chair of the South West Licensed Victuallers Association, as well as president of the Bunbury Association.

After Monaghan’s death, his wife Millie took over the Rose Hotel, assisted by Gerry Lightly and Clarrie O’Connor. In the 1960s, the hotel had a number of managers in quick succession. In 1961 plans were revealed for the redevelopment of the Rose Hotel by new proprietors, Col and Meg Sangster. This included the proposed establishment of an ‘ultramodern bottle department’ which was established in the sample room sometime in the 1960s.

John and Elizabeth Drinkwater purchased the hotel in 1969 and Mr Drinkwater retains ownership as 2013.

This history is based on the Documentary Evidence in Heritage Council of Western Australia, 'Register Documentation: Rose Hotel and Sample Room', prepared by Jacqui Sheriff, 2004.

Integrity/Authenticity

Moderate authenticity as extensively altered from the small two-storeyed edifice of the original Rose Hotel which faced Victoria Street. Some fabric from the 1897 renovation remains. A third floor was added with verandah (verandah now removed).

Condition

Exterior: Appears good.

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

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