It's a case of HISTORY REPEATING ITSELF when it comes to the ESPY MOTOR HOTEL

originally 'The Royal'


Article heading image for It's a case of HISTORY REPEATING ITSELF when it comes to the ESPY MOTOR HOTEL

It appears to be a simple case of history repeating itself when it comes to the Esperance Motor Hotel.

Last week Triple M reported that one of Esperance’s favourite watering holes would be closing down this April because of a long list of work orders that needed to be ticked off, including the removal of friable asbestos in the roof.

Those Esperance residents kicking around the 1940’s on Andrew Street or even keen local historians would know these circumstances sound... rather familiar.

In 1945 the Royal Hotel was re-branded and renamed the Esperance Hotel, which is basically the title it has kept today, although it has passed through some slight machinations (it was briefly Brennan's Esperance Hotel before becoming the Esperance Motor Hotel).

In December that same year, the magistrate presiding over the annual Licensing Court labelled the now former Royal Hotel premises a “death trap, which should have been condemned years ago”.

Haven’t we heard something like that recently?

The magistrate then went on to give the proprietors of the then Esperance Hotel a three month period pending the completion of a long list of remedial works, with the license to terminate on March 31 IF the extensive work orders were not attended to…

That’s the same date of this year that the current Motor Hotel had to complete their list of work orders!

The main difference? The owners in 1946 got their act together and by April they had completed the necessary remedial works and were able to trade as per normal as the Esperance Hotel…

So, it was almost a case of history repeating itself. If only it had!

Listen to Sean's take on the Breakfast Show at the audio below!

Sean Lindsay

19 March 2019

Article by:

Sean Lindsay




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