Miners' Arms Hotel - Site

Statement of Significance

Site – Miners Arms Hotel, 17 Throssell Street, Collie (formerly 9) has cultural heritage significance as the site of the former hotel which fell into disuse following its delicensing in 1921. The hotel had social significance as a meeting place and residence for miners and visitors to Collie. The existing buildings on the site have no heritage significance.

Physical Description

Historic Site. The existing building on the site has no heritage significance.

History

Accommodation for visitors to Collie was in short supply. Accommodation at the Colliefields Hotel was limited to eight or nine rooms partitioned with oil cloth and there was no accommodation for ladies. Ed Shepherd, the secretary of the Wallsend Miners’ Association was reported as saying that ‘ladies were often inconvenienced. They had to keep a dance going all night until the train went in the morning’. In September 1900 (Southern Times 4 September 1900, p3) it was reported that Raphael Krakour had applied for a publican’s general license ‘at the corner of Throssell and Brunswick Streets, although the house was not yet complete. Krakour had previously held licences at Dundas and Lennonville and was managing a hotel for his brother at Norseman. John Evans, the manager of the Wallsend Colliery had applied for a provisional certificate for ‘the house’ on the condition that it be completed within twelve months. A new application was made at the end of that period and Mr Evans then sold to Mr Krakour. At the licensing court, Ernest Giles, the hotel’s architect advised that there were to be 22 rooms which would be ready for furnishing in three weeks. Rooms downstairs were 12ft high and upstairs they were 11ft. Most of the partitions between the eleven commodious bedrooms were lath and plaster. Originally known as the Commercial Hotel and later the Miners’ Arms, the hotel was constructed on land adjoining the old Wallsend mining lease. At the time the eastern end of Throssell street was the centre of the town and the hotel was the ‘centre of the social life of the district’. HW Williams in One Day in Collie (1979, p38) describes the Commercial Hotel as ‘the first double-storey brick building in the town…a magnificent structure, housing on the ground floor 22 bedrooms, a billiard room, a ‘handsome’ bar and parlour, dining room, kitchen, etc, while the upper floor comprised 11 bedrooms, sitting room, bathroom, and large balcony verandah. George Hildebrandt, was licensee of the Commercial Hotel in 1903 with Ralph Krakour now the licensee at the Colli Fields Hotel. Both were dismissed of charges of Sunday trading (Western Mail 3 October 1903, p21). In 1906 the licence for the Commercial Hotel was transferred from J Mackey to F Butler (Western Mail, 10 March 1906, p17) although in November 1908 it was reported that Mr W Lamb, was retiring ‘after four years’ tenancy of the Commercial Hotel’ (Southern Times 21 November 1908, p4). Albert W Coombes granted the licence in 1905 (Southern Times, 10 June 1905, p4). Later that year JA Lindsay which was granted the license although Lindsay confessed that he had no previous experience. The recommendation of the licensing court was that the licence be transferred as soon as possible to someone more capable (Southern Times, 16 December 1905, p4). The next year the licence was transferred from E Butler to W Lamb (Southern Times 8 September 1906, p7). The Post Office Directories show J Lamb as occupant from 1907 to 1909. 1909 Commercial Hotel changed hands and was now under the management of JJ Vicks, formerly of the Commonwealth Hotel. In 1910 the Post Office Directories record Thomas Cassidy at the Miners’ Arms Hotel. He continues to be listed at that address until 1915. Neither Cassidy nor the Miners’ Arms appears in the 1916 Directories, whilst Cassidy is shown in the 1917 edition but not in association with the Hotel. The Miners’ Arms Hotel appears next in the 1920 and 1921 PO Directories with T Hewson as licensee. The Collie Licensing Court determined that ‘the Miners’ Arms Hotel could be closed with least inconvenience to the public. Therefore, the license would bet be renewed, and the hotel would cease to exist on the expiration of the current license on December 31st next’ (The South-Western Times 23 September 1921, p3). This report named Thomas Hewitt as the licensee whilst an engagement notice in the Sunday Times on 26 December 1920 refers to Thomas Waite Hewett (probably the son of the Licensee) of the Miners’ Arms Hotel, Collie. Williams states that place operated as a private hotel boarding house for a period of time. ‘Once the hub of all local activities and a link with the early days of the district, the old Miners’ Arms hotel, delicensed 16 years ago, was bought last week and is to be demolished to make way for a modern residence’ (The West Australian, 2 October 1937, p5). From 1939 until 1949 when these records cease, the Post Office Directories show James Robb, motor garage, at 9 Throssell Street.

Integrity/Authenticity

None/ None

Condition

None

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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