Brass Monkey Hotel placed on State's Register of Heritage Places

25/9/99
Northbridge's most famous watering hole, the Brass Monkey Hotel, is to be entered on the State's Register of Heritage Places.
Heritage Minister Graham Kierath said the once grand gold-boom era hotel was transformed in the late 1980s into one of Australia's classic boutique brewery hotels and brasseries.
The William Street landmark has been added to the Heritage Council of Western Australia's register of heritage places.
Mr Kierath said the Brass Monkey had been an integral part of Northbridge since its construction just before the turn of the century.
The pub was originally known as The Great Western and had remained in the ownership of the one family for nearly 80 years.
"The Great Western was one of the most lavish hotels of Western Australia's gold boom era of the 1890s and a popular destination for visitors from the Goldfields for many decades," the Minister said.
"In the late 1980s it was lovingly restored and won back its place as one of the most popular drinking and eating spots in the Northbridge area.
"The hotel is an integral and highly significant part of the Northbridge townscape and deserves its listing on the register of heritage places."
Mr Kierath said widow Mrs Davies built the Great Western in 1896 on what was then known as Hutt Street, on land strategically located close to the Perth Railway Station.
Designed by prominent architect Michael Cavanagh, the Great Western was a three-storey brick, stucco and iron roof hotel, with public rooms at ground level and accommodation for guests and staff on the upper two levels.
Cavanagh believed verandahs should be an integral part of a building's construction and not just a flimsy addition and this is reflected in the wrought iron verandahs featured in The Great Western and other hotels he designed, including the P & O, the Newcastle Club Hotel and the Esplanade Hotel.
"The Great Western became known as a convenient place for visitors from the Goldfields to stay when in Perth,"
Mr Kierath said.
"This continued well after World War II and the pub was also home for a number of city workers and hotel staff.
"While there were a number of different publicans over the years, the hotel stayed in the ownership of the Davies family until 1972, when bookie Ken Gray bought it.
"It was not until the local brewing company Brewtech bought the pub in 1987 that it was given a major facelift.
"It was lovingly restored and renovated under the watchful eye of architect Michael Patroni, who had designed the Sail and Anchor pub in Fremantle.
"Patroni won the Architectural Design Award of the Western Australian chapter of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects in 1989 for his work on the hotel."
Mr Kierath said the hotel was in good condition and had a high degree of authenticity.
Media contact: Steve Manchee (08) 9213 6400