Outback Family History

This website is dedicated to the memory of my two dear friends Sandy Duncan and Shyama Peebles who both passed away in 2012.

Menzies > Menzies Hotels

The Grand Hotel, Menzies

The Menzies Hotel, Formerly The Railway Hotel

The Menzies Hotel, Cnr of Brown and Shenton Sts Menzies Built 1902 (Now a cafe)
Apri 24 1901 - The Menzies Hotel is the pioneer hostelry of the town of Menzies. It is not a very pretentious looking structure but in the early days anyone who was anybody foregathered there and it was the centre of all the social life of the town. It was built by Mr H Gregory who now represents the electorate of North Coolgardie in the Wa Parliment. After he retired from the hotel Mr F Cornell became the landlord and he in turn gave place to Mr G H Jackson who now does a large propertion of the trade in the old house. Mr Jackson is a newcomer but his business abilities and genial disposition soon gained him hosts of friends. Visitors to the town should either stay at Jackosn's or make a point of seeing him if the house is full and they are obliged to stay elsewhere. Fore rare and choice brands of good liquor jackson's is the house.

St Albans Hotel, Menzies

Original St Albans Hotel (a sketch)

The Original Menzies Hotel, (A Sketch)

The Palace Hotel, Menzies

The Proprierty Hotel Menzies

The Lady Shenton Hotel, Shenton Street, Menzies, (Now the Visitors Centre)

The Maori Hotel and Hall, Menzies 1901 From the North Coolgardie Herald Apr 24 1901
One of the best known hotels on the fields is W E Walters Maori Hotel in Shenton Street. It is not a hotel which caters for the wealthy. Mr Walters does not exoect mine speculators or members of the vice regal family to stay at his hotel. The kind of man he wants is the decent prospector of miner, or other class of working men and to this class of pioneer the place is an oasis. A good table, modest tariff and the best brands of liquor, good accomodation and cicility withal.
This is all that Mr Walters has to offer his clients. If they dont suit less comfort at a greater expense can be procured elsewhere.

The Maori Hotel is names after a lease on which it stands, and was origionally built by walter and a partner nmaed Wild. Walter was in Coolgardie in 1892 and made some money on the stock exchange there. He originally came from Mt Esk Queensland. In 1894 he came to Menzies and is thus entitled to rank as one of the business pioneers. He entered into busuness as a builder and contractor with Wild and after carrying on b usiness for a while they built the Maori Hotel and after compleation the popular Maori Hall a place for dances, bazzars, festivals dramatic performences and all sorts of events since men and women made the town their sojourning place.

The two parteners met with great misfortune after carrying on business for several years. Just two days before the official opening of the Kalgoorlie-Menzies rail line to menzies in March 1898, the whole of the hotle and hall were were compleatly swept away by fire. Not daunted by this misfortune Walter set to work, with the help of townspeople, to rebuild his hotel on a larger scale. his partener, Wild, did not cae to carry on and sold his share to Walter. He has now moved to Leonoa and is a builder there.

On Completion the hotel again opened. His venture proved an successful one and he has no reason to regret casing his lot in Menzies. Mr Walter has always been a generour patron to all publc movements, particularily those which tend to benefite the town and the hall is always available to genuine charity's. The hotel itself consists of 16 bedrooms, three parlours, two bars and a comodius dining room. THere is also extensive stabling conected to the hotel. The Maori Hall consists of a building 100ft x 27ft and hasd a stage and dressing rooms. There is for 500 hundred people. The secenery and stage fitting are all supplied and will suit ant travelling company. Some of the companies which have played in this hall are The Jubilee Singers, Cogill's In Town & Co, The Wilson and Forbes Dramatic Company, the McAdoo Combination Singers, the Payne Family and the Great Dante.