Mundaring Weir Hotel

Statement of Significance

following reasons: the place contains part of the oldest surviving permanent building at Mundaring Weir which developed as a service centre for the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme; the place served as a popular tourist venue for the people of Perth for nearly 100 years and has become a popular cultural venue for local entertainers; the place has associations with C.YO'Connor, the engineer who designed the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme, David Helfgott, an internationally renowned pianist, Frank Pash and internationally acclaimed painter and the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme; the place has become a cultural venue which attracts residents who live locally, people from the wider Perth community and international visitors; and, the place is a good example of the Federation Filigree style and, together with the Mundaring Weir Hall forms a small historic precinct.

Physical Description

Mundaring Weir Hotel is composed of two distinct sections The earliest component is a single storey weatherboard and iron structure built in 1898. The later section is a two storey brick and iron structure, with a double storey verandah, built inc. 1906. The building is an example of Federation Filigree. The earlier section was built for Mathieson and Frederick Jacoby, while the later section was built for Frederick Jacoby. A comparatively small community lives at Mundaring Weir, which lies to the south of Mundaring. The villagers mainly home to support personnel for C.A.L.M., who are responsible for the state-forests surrounding the Mundaring weir and some private residents. Mundaring Weir Hotel is located on the corner of Weir Village Road (south eastern) and Hall Road. Several residences are located on the eastern side of Weir Village Road while on the north western side of Hall Road is the Mundaring Weir Hall. Both Mundaring Weir Hotel and the Mundaring Weir Hall are located close to the entrance of the public park at Mundaring Weir. The site slopes downwards on the southern and western sides The land on the western side of Mundaring Weir Hotel has been retained behind a rendered brick wall which runs parallel with Weir Village Road. This area has several mature trees planted along it, including a row of coral trees. The land at the rear of Mundaring Weir Hotel (western side) has been terraced to form an amphitheatre. Immediately to the west of the terracing is a flat piece of land which contains a pool and a grassed area. To the west of this is another flat area of land, before the site slopes down steeply to Portagabra Creek at the western edge of the site.

History

Assessment 2003 Construction 1898 Mundaring Weir Hotel was built by the Jacoby brothers, Matheison and Frederick Jacoby in 1898. At the time of the hotel's construction work has just commenced on the construction of the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme, with the construction of a dam on the Helena River in the Darling Ranges, the key component. The dam construction attracted a large work force and a camp was established 'on the southern' side of the Helena River to the west of the dam wall. The lack of legal supplies of alcohol were soon felt at the dam and the Jacoby brothers were successful in applying for a liquor license in 1898. The Goldfields Water Supply Scheme was officially opened in January 1903 and although the vast numbers of workmen soon left the site, a small community stayed on at the weir servicing the two pumping stations that were constructed to pump water out of the valley and on its way to Kalgoorlie. Frederick Jacoby enlarged the hotel by adding a two storey brick section to the front of the original weatherboard building in c.1906. The hotel prospered and became particularly popular during the first quarter of the twentieth century when large numbers of people came to visit the Weir. Patronage declined during the Depression years and it was not until the end of the twentieth century that the hotel again became a popular venue when concerts were staged in the outdoor amphitheatre at the rear of the hotel. David Helfgott gave his first concerts at the hotel in 1985, and once the film 'Shine- was released in 1995, the concerts "became particularly popular, leading to a more formalised arrangement to the amphitheatre.

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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