Sawyers Valley Tavern facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sawyers Valley Tavern |
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| Former names | Sawyers Valley Hotel |
| General information | |
| Type | Hotel |
| Address | 10860 Great Eastern Highway |
| Town or city | Sawyers Valley |
| Country | Australia |
| Coordinates | 31°54′14″S 116°12′17″E / 31.9038°S 116.2047°E |
| Opened | 1882 |
The Sawyers Valley Tavern is a historic building. It opened in 1882. It is located in Sawyers Valley. This is a suburb in the hills near Perth, Western Australia. It was first known as the Sawyers Valley Hotel. Later, it got its current name.
Meet Lot Leather
Lot Leather arrived in Australia in 1863. He started working with timber in Sawyers Valley. In 1874, he bought the land. This is the land where the Sawyers Valley Tavern now stands. In the mid-1880s, he built a store. It was next to his home on York Road. The store served workers building the Eastern Railway. It also served local timber workers.
A Place for Everyone
In 1882, Lot Leather got a special licence. This allowed him to sell wine and beer. The store was then replaced by the Sawyers Valley Hotel. Even after the railway was finished, the hotel was popular. People from nearby timber mills often visited.
The hotel and the sports ground next to it became a meeting spot. It was used by mill workers and travellers. Local groups also met there. These included road boards and historical societies. Political rallies were sometimes held there too.
The hotel quickly became a hub for sports. Many clubs used it as their base. There were rifle clubs and cricket teams. Cycling and motorcycle clubs also gathered there. Publicans, like JH Kendall, promoted sports events. Kendall was in charge for 21 years. The hotel hosted yearly competitions. These included wood chopping, timber sawing, and tug-of-war. Teams from nearby mills and hotels competed. These teams came from places like Chidlow and Mount Helena.
In 1937, the old timber hotel was taken down. A new brick hotel was built on the same spot. It was designed by William Bennett. The new hotel had many rooms. It featured saloon and public bars. There were also lounges and a dining room. It had ten bedrooms, kitchens, and bathrooms.
Many people have managed the hotel over the years. Some of them include Thomas Stone and Walter Pearce. Others were William Riley, Fred Jacoby, Mary Kelly, and Clare Firth.
Building Style
The Sawyers Valley Tavern is a single-storey building. It is one of the few Art Deco style buildings in the area. Art Deco is a design style from the 1920s and 1930s. The building still looks much like it did when it was new. Its main Art Deco feature is at the entrance. A tall, stepped, and rounded part sticks up through the tiled roof. This part is smooth and modern-looking.
