Dumbleyung Hotel (fmr)

Values

• The place is a rare Federation Filigree, stone Hotel in the Wheatbelt.
• The place is representative of a distinct period of development that occurred after the gold rushes in the 1890s until World War I.
• The place has social value to the Dumbleyung residents and is one of the tourist attraction for Dumbleyung.

Physical Description

 Prominent location on a corner block, surrounded by an open space away from the town centre.  Two storey building.  Constructed of stone with brick quoins around the windows.  Deep shady verandah along front and side elevation.  Decorative timber features provide filigree finish.  Timber work divided into bays by slender columns.  Hipped roof with separate roof over the verandah.  Timbered gable set into roof line.  Series of tall, slender brick chimneys.  The hotel has a new corrugated iron roof.

History

The history of liquor license applications in the Dumbleyung District shows that it took three years of applications before a licence could be obtained. The first licence granted went to A.J. Tunney who supported having the hotel on the south side of town, despite apposition by many people who thought the hotel would be prone to flooding and isolated from the rest of the town. However, Tunney’s plans were ‘highly acceptable’. The plans for the hotel, costing £4500 included 24 bedrooms, two classes of dinning rooms, two sitting rooms, bathrooms and bars. Originally the hotel had 17 stalls for horses and three loose boxes. The Dumbleyung Hotel was officially opened on 21st December 1911. In 1913 it was flooded just as predicted by Tunney’s opposition however, a new drainage system along the railway line was supposed to fix the problem (though it had been flooded a number of times since). Tunney transferred the licence in 1917 to Charles Speed who was the first of a number of licensees and owners once the hotel was sold by Tunney’s widow in 1929. The hotel has traditionally been used by railway workers and also main roads workers. It is also a place where local sporting groups meet as well as farmers and travelers to the district.

Integrity/Authenticity

High

Condition

Good

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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