Boyanup Hotel (fmr)

Statement of Significance

Boyanup Tavern, a single storey brick building designed in Inter War Arts and Crafts style, has cultural heritage significance to the town of Boyanup for the following reasons: • the place sits on the site of the first and only hotel constructed in Boyanup; • the place is associated with the historical development of Boyanup; • the place has been an important community social meeting place and has high social significance since its erection in the 1920s; and, • the place is representative of the Inter War Arts & Crafts style, and the kitchen and accommodation portions of the place remains largely intact

Physical Description

Boyanup Tavern is a single storey brick building designed in Interwar Arts and Crafts style. The roof is covered with decromastic tiles. The front of the building features two gable wings which project forward of the main building line, creating a small ‘u’ section which is covered with a skillion style verandah. The gable ends are rendered for half their height (from the apex downwards) and have a rendered band below sill level. The eastern wing has retained its original style of paned window, while the western wing has two windows either side of a half height opening. Brickwork beneath the opening indicates that it was once a door. The building has been extended on the south west side. This wing is also covered with a gable roof which runs east west. The front portion of the roof extends forwards to form a verandah. This new wing contains a drive in bottle shop and bar area. A short extension (approximately 10 x 15 metres) has also been added to the north eastern side of the building. A verandah has also been added to this side of the building which butts up against the south eastern side of the extension. The main interior section (which contains the bar, dining room and function area) has an open plan. The walls of the bar area are panelled in wood veneer with mini strip cladding for the ceiling. The function area has plastered walls and cement sheeting to the ceiling. To the south of this area, separate doors lead to the kitchen and the accommodation wing. The accommodation wing has retained many original features such as plastered walls, picture rails and original doors and architraves. The kitchen has been equipped with modern fittings.

History

Assessment: 2003 Construction: 1920's Architect/builder: unknown HISTORICAL OVERVIEW European settlers first moved into the Boyanup district during the 1840s. James Bessonnet purchased Leschenault Loc. 54 in 1846. The 385 acres were near the new road to the Blackwood River. A bridge across the upper Preston River was built in 1861, linking the coastal districts with the Blackwood River. John Kelly, a timber contractor, built the first hotel at Boyanup in c. 1885, on the site of the present Boyanup Tavern. The timber building had only two rooms and a dirt floor. The conditions of the building were such that Kelly was refused a liquor license for nearly ten years. In July 1887, government surveyors arrived to survey a route for the Bunbury to Boyanup Railway Line. The line was completed by November 1887 however, the locomotives ordered for the Boyanup Line were taken down to Albany and it was not until February 1890 that the service was able to start operating. .By 1893, Kelly had finally laid a wooden floor in his hotel, although he was still unable to get a liquor license. By 1914, Henry Brook was the new owner of the Boyanup Tavern. The Tavern burnt down in the summer of 1920. A new brick building was designed and constructed by the new owner, George Gorman. The place was then run by E.J. Crews and his wife who provided meals, accommodation and car repairs. Fire again destroyed the building towards the end of the 1920s and the Crews were replaced by Charles Comb (an ex-fireman). Frank and Nan Melvin took over the license of the Tavern around 1945. The Melvins added a new storeroom and toilets to the building in 1950. In 1964, slight alterations were made to the interior and a new toilet block was added to the rear of the Tavern. Sometime between 1964 and 1978, a large public bar area was added to the south west side of the building. This bar is shown in plans dated August 1978 when the interior was again altered to create a dining room on the south east side of the original building. Sometime after this the Boyanup Capel Football Club became the new owners of the property. They made extensive alterations to the interior, mainly on the north east side of the building with the creation of a new function room. The residential area towards the rear of the building was retained and this area remains largely unaltered from its original 1920s plan. Boyanup Tavern was placed on the Shire of Capel’s Municipal Inventory in September 1999. In 2003, the Tavern functions as a hotel.

Integrity/Authenticity

Boyanup Tavern has undergone several alterations over the years which have entailed alterations to the original fabric. The building has retained a moderate degree of authenticit

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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