Margaret River Hotel

Statement of Significance

The following is an extract from the Heritage Council of WA’s Assessment Documentation for the place: Margaret River Hotel (1936), a two storey rendered brick and tile building located in the Margaret River town centre exhibiting elements of the Inter-War Old English style, together with evidence of the influence of the Inter-War Art Deco and Arts and Crafts styles, with substantial extensions built in 1985, has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons: • the place’s initial and continued development has been closely associated with major developments in the region, in the first instance Group Settlement, tourism to the caves, and the development of viticulture in the region in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries; • the 1936 hotel building is a rare and good example of the Inter-War Old English architectural style with elements of the Inter-War Art Deco and Arts and Crafts styles, designed and executed to high standards externally and internally; • the place is a fine example of the work of architect F.G.B. Hawkins, and builder, C.W. Arnott, both highly accomplished in their respective fields; • the place was the second hotel built in the Shire of Augusta-Margaret River, and has been an integral part of the town of Margaret River and the district, both physically and socially, since 1936; and, • the place was built for Bernard McKeown, whose family became significant local identities and continued to own and operate the hotel for 36 years. The 1985 additions to the Margaret River Hotel are of little cultural heritage significance in their own right. They are, however, in keeping with the original design style of the hotel and are not intrusive.

Physical Description

The following description is based on extracts from the Heritage Council’s Assessment documentation for the place. A more detailed description is available at www.heritage.wa.gov.au: Margaret River Hotel is a two storey rendered brick and tile building that exhibits elements of the Inter-War Old English architectural style together with evidence of the influence of the Inter-War Art Deco and Arts and Crafts styles in both its architectural composition and detailing. The original (1936) portion of Margaret River Hotel is L shaped in plan and comprises the northern portion of the building addressing Bussell Highway and the eastern wing that extends into the carpark area to the rear of the building. The southern portion of the building addressing Bussell Highway was added in 1985, together with the single storey bottle shop. At the front of the building the front setback contains a series of outdoor courtyards. On the northern end of the building, at the corner of Willmott Avenue and Bussell Highway, is a beer garden enclosed behind a painted rendered masonry boundary wall with masonry piers. The external fabric of the building comprises painted and rendered masonry walls, autumn blend coloured terracotta roof tiles, timber joinery to the 1936 section and metal framed windows to the more recent sections of the building. The hotel was originally constructed of face brickwork but was rendered and painted following the 1985 works. The tiled roof is hipped with half-timbered gables. There are three gables on the main western facade, two to the 1936 section and one to the 1985 section of the building. On the eastern side there is a gable to the roof of the original eastern wing, another to the roof of the single storey bottle shop and a third to the main roof of the two storey southern addition. The roof has two large chimneys on the east, one on the north and one on the west elevation of the 1936 section. These are rendered masonry and simply proportioned with a suggestion of Art Deco design influence in their design and proportions. There is a similarly detailed chimney on the west elevation of the 1985 addition. There are two large balconies at first floor level on the western elevation of the 1936 building. These are heavily proportioned with solid masonry balustrade walls, with vertical banding decoration to the northernmost balcony, and pairs of timber posts supporting the tiled gabled roofs above. The building has covered verandahs on the northern and western facades over the beer garden and along the front of the building in front of the new bar area. These are not original, but are reconstructions to original detail carried out in 1985. The interior of the building is finely detailed with elements that derive from the Arts and Crafts style evident particularly in the detail of fireplaces in the lounge and dining room on the ground floor and in the first floor sitting room.

History

Bernard McKeown, the original owner and manager of the Margaret River Hotel, purchased lots 17 to 20, building the hotel on 19 and 20. McKeown’s wife Sarah, and family helped him run the hotel, which was officially opened on 11 April 1936. As the Hotel was built prior to electricity being supplied to the town, the hotel originally ran from a semi-diesel powered generator. Cool drinks for the hotel and for retail sale were made in the hotel yard, where a small aerated water plant was housed in a shed. There was also a hotel truck, which would meet guests at the railway station and transport them to the hotel. In 1985, seven new motel units and extensions were built and the whole building was rendered. More modifications and renovations were undertaken in 2001/2002. As at 2012, the place is still a Hotel and is a landmark in the main street of Margaret River. For more detail on the history of the Hotel since its construction in 1936, see the HCWA Assessment Documentation.

Integrity/Authenticity

High: The original use has been maintained. Medium: The place has had some alterations, but the original intent/character is still clearly evident.

Condition

Good *Assessed from streetscape survey only

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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