Sawyers Valley Tavern

The Sawyers Valley Tavern was established in 1882 in Sawyers Valley, a hills suburb of Perth, Western Australia. It was originally called the Sawyers Valley Hotel before acquiring its current name.

Sawyers Valley Tavern
Former namesSawyers Valley Hotel
General information
TypeHotel
Address10860 Great Eastern Highway
Town or citySawyers Valley
CountryAustralia
Coordinates31.9038°S 116.2047°E / -31.9038; 116.2047
Opened1882
Website
http://sawyersvalleytavern.com.au/

Lot Leather

Lot Leather arrived on the convict ship Clyde in 1863 after killing his sweetheart's lover.[1] Leather began pit sawing at Sawyers Valley soon after, and in 1874 he purchased the land on which the Sawyers Valley Tavern is built. In the mid 1880s he built a store, next to his homestead on York Road, to serve the Eastern Railway construction workforce and the local sawyers.[2]

History

In 1882 Leather successfully applied for a colonial wine and beer licence, and the store was replaced with the Sawyers Valley Hotel.[3] Even after the railway was finished, the hotel attracted locals from nearby sawmills.[4]

The hotel and the adjacent recreation ground served as a local meeting place for mill workers, travellers, road boards, progress associations, historical societies and political rallies.[5][6][7][8][9]

It also quickly became the gathering place for numerous sporting clubs, rifle clubs, cricket teams, cycling and motorcycle clubs.[10][11][12][13][14] Sports meetings were promoted by subsequent publicans, including JH Kendall, who was licensee for 21 years. It was the focus of annual competitions in wood chopping, timber sawing, and tug-of-war, with teams from nearby mills and hotels in Chidlow and Mount Helena.[15]

In 1937 the old timber hotel was demolished and the new single storey brick hotel, designed by William Bennett, was erected on the same site, featuring saloon and public bars, lounges, a dining room and ten bedrooms, kitchens and bathrooms.[16]

During the Second World War the hotel featured in the local newspapers for incidents involving American servicemen. American soldiers and sailors were arrested for being drunk and fighting, and their girlfriends arrested for living "idle and disorderly lives" and prostitution.[17][18][19][20][21]

Over time licensees of the hotel have included Thomas Stone, Walter Pearce, William Riley, Fred Jacoby, Mary Kelly, and Clare Firth.[22][23][24][25][26]

Architectural character

The single storey Sawyers Valley Tavern is one of a few Art Deco style buildings in the shire other than some minor elements on several residence. The overall character of the building retains much of its original form and is simply detailed. The principle focus of Art Deco decoration is the projection through the tiled roof at the main entry of a tall, stepped, rounded and streamline rendered parapet element.[27][28]

Heritage value

The Sawyers Valley Tavern has high social significance for the local community. The building's Art Deco character is unique in the Shire of Mundaring. Sitting opposite the Railway Reserve Heritage Trail, the site also has historic significance as the location of Lot Leather's former store and hotel.[29]

In 2016 the Sawyers Valley Tavern was listed on Western Australia's Heritage Register for the contribution made by the place to Western Australia's cultural heritage.[30]

References
  1. "Weir Valley Farm, Mundaring, Western Australia: land in transition" (PDF). Australian Forest History.
  2. "Sawyers Valley Tavern". State Heritage Western Australia.
  3. "Classified Advertising". The West Australian. Vol. IV, no. 256. 16 May 1882. p. 2. Retrieved 7 August 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. "Municipal Inventory" (PDF). Shire of Mundaring.
  5. "A DAY AT SAWYERS VALLEY". The Daily News. Vol. XIV, no. 6, 664. Western Australia. 24 December 1896. p. 4. Retrieved 7 August 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. "SAWYER'S VALLEY". The Swan Express. Vol. II, no. 22. Western Australia. 3 May 1902. p. 3. Retrieved 7 August 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. "A District Banquet at Sawyer's Valley". The Swan Express. Vol. II, no. 31. Western Australia. 28 June 1902. p. 3. Retrieved 7 August 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. "Darting Range H. and I. Society". The Swan Express. Vol. VI, no. 33. Western Australia. 14 July 1906. p. 1. Retrieved 7 August 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. "District Notes". The Swan Express. Vol. II, no. 22. Western Australia. 3 May 1902. p. 3. Retrieved 7 August 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  10. "SOCIAL NOTES". The West Australian. Vol. 15, no. 4, 100. Western Australia. 22 April 1899. p. 7. Retrieved 7 August 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  11. "CYCLING". The Swan Express. Vol. XXXII, no. 32. Western Australia. 2 July 1931. p. 7. Retrieved 7 August 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  12. "Lion Mill". The Swan Express. Vol. IV, no. 15. Western Australia. 12 March 1904. p. 2. Retrieved 7 August 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  13. "Sawyer's Valley Social". The Swan Express. Vol. IV, no. 35. Western Australia. 30 July 1904. p. 3. Retrieved 7 August 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  14. "COASTAL MOTOR CYCLE CLUB". Sunday Times (Perth). No. 1326. Western Australia. 10 June 1923. p. 11 (First Section). Retrieved 7 August 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  15. "Classified Advertising". The West Australian. Vol. 11, no. 2, 899. Western Australia. 3 June 1895. p. 1. Retrieved 7 August 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  16. "CURRENT WORK". The West Australian. Vol. 53, no. 15, 769. Western Australia. 9 January 1937. p. 6. Retrieved 7 August 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  17. "Drunken Youth on Two Charges". The Daily News. Vol. LIX, no. 20, 782 (CITY FINAL ed.). Western Australia. 10 November 1941. p. 9. Retrieved 7 August 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  18. ""Had A Right To Hit Her"". The Daily News. Vol. LXI, no. 21, 185 (HOME ed.). Western Australia. 26 February 1943. p. 8. Retrieved 7 August 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  19. "Living With Yanks At Hotel". The Mirror. Vol. 23, no. 1213. Western Australia. 11 August 1945. p. 10. Retrieved 7 August 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  20. "IDLE AND DISORDERLY". The West Australian. Vol. 61, no. 18, 433. Western Australia. 10 August 1945. p. 3. Retrieved 7 August 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  21. "SNOW DIDN'T MELT THE JUDGE'S HEART". The Mirror. Vol. 20, no. 962. Western Australia. 12 September 1942. p. 18. Retrieved 7 August 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  22. "Classified Advertising". The West Australian. Vol. 11, no. 2, 962. Western Australia. 15 August 1895. p. 8. Retrieved 7 August 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  23. "Guildford Licensing Court". The Swan Express. Vol. II, no. 1. Western Australia. 7 December 1901. p. 4. Retrieved 7 August 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  24. "Guildford Licensing Court". The Swan Express. Vol. VII, no. 2. Western Australia. 8 December 1906. p. 3. Retrieved 7 August 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  25. "Advertising". The Daily News. Vol. LIX, no. 20546 (CITY FINAL ed.). Western Australia. 5 February 1941. p. 15. Retrieved 7 August 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  26. "LIQUOR OFFENCES". The West Australian. Vol. 60, no. 17, 938. Western Australia. 6 January 1944. p. 4. Retrieved 7 August 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  27. "Sawyers Valley Tavern". State Heritage Western Australia.
  28. "Municipal Inventory" (PDF). Shire of Mundaring.
  29. "Sawyers Valley Tavern". State Heritage Western Australia.
  30. "Sawyers Valley Tavern". State Heritage Western Australia.
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