The government once ran pubs
Yes, you read that right. In the early twentieth century, the state government of Western Australia decided to build, operate and (eventually) sell hotels in country towns. This was to curtail sly grogging, which were unauthorised and sometimes dangerous bars. The governments pubs would follow liquor licencing laws to a tee, supply high quality alcohol and offer good food and accommodation.
These were established over a 13-year period between 1903 and 1916 in towns with large populations of single working men - the primary target of sly grogging operations. These towns were known for mining, logging, railways and agriculture. As such, the towns of Gwalia, Dwellingup, Wongan Hills, Bruce Rock, Kwolyin, Corrigin and Bolgart all received hotels.
In this video I visit them all (or at least, the site of). It's easily the most travel I've ever done for a single video. Burgers and beer are simple, but effective motivators.
General Sources:
Gwalia Sources:
https://inherit.dplh.wa.gov.au/Public/Inventory/Details/f663db22-a269-4190-838e-b73ab9584dc4
https://inherit.dplh.wa.gov.au/Public/Inventory/Details/213c3e4f-f0e4-4f77-88e0-7280afcc38f2
https://inherit.dplh.wa.gov.au/Public/Inventory/Details/3dd7993e-c858-4ff9-91d4-3242268637f5
1st November 1902
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/37539801
16th April 1915
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/119914774?searchTerm=gwalia%20beer%20strike
Dwellingup Sources:
https://inherit.dplh.wa.gov.au/Public/Inventory/Details/4127c68c-9501-4f53-80ef-56aff8028d18
https://inherit.dplh.wa.gov.au/Public/Inventory/Details/3e210633-a8c0-42b7-b117-1a1ca72d5df2
https://dwellinguphotel.com.au/
https://encore.slwa.wa.gov.au/iii/encore/record/C__Rb1812993__Sdwellingup%20hotel__P0%2C1__Orightresult__U__X2?lang=eng&suite=def https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwellingup,_Western_Australia
15 November 1912
Wongan Hills Sources:
https://inherit.dplh.wa.gov.au/Public/Inventory/Details/4f3cf8b9-80b1-4118-aeb3-2053dd0c0767
https://inherit.dplh.wa.gov.au/Public/Inventory/Details/41d141ee-37e4-4f4c-9d5b-a82a8878db06
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wongan_Hills,_Western_Australia
Bruce Rock Sources:
https://inherit.dplh.wa.gov.au/Public/Inventory/Details/a3bd983c-af57-433c-84dd-712b9befab69
https://inherit.dplh.wa.gov.au/Public/Inventory/Details/a50138a7-522f-491f-abae-e685ff7e6ebf
https://inherit.dplh.wa.gov.au/admin/api/file/f991a831-10e1-a588-d109-6a7c18c234ba
Kwolyin Sources:
https://inherit.dplh.wa.gov.au/public/inventory/details/28d8911d-bf1e-4b0d-9598-cb2180bf9f84
https://inherit.dplh.wa.gov.au/Public/Inventory/Details/28d8911d-bf1e-4b0d-9598-cb2180bf9f84
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/37971369?searchTerm=kwolyin https://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-01-26/two-charged-over-1992-hotel-blaze/3794974?utm_source=abc_news_app&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_campaign=abc_news_app&utm_content=other
Corrigin Sources:
https://inherit.dplh.wa.gov.au/Public/Inventory/Details/ce2db770-d2bd-4910-9589-fa38cb49ea4e
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corrigin,_Western_Australia
https://www.corrigin.wa.gov.au/council/about-us/profile.aspx
https://www.corriginhotel.net/menu.pdf
https://web.archive.org/web/20090913001454/http://www.corrigin.wa.gov.au/doginaute
https://www.westernaustralia.com/en/attraction/corrigin-dog-cemetery/56b267b3aeeeaaf773cfa7ce
Bolgart Sources:
https://inherit.dplh.wa.gov.au/Public/Inventory/Details/3688fb68-6023-4282-b88f-8368216749da
https://inherit.dplh.wa.gov.au/Public/Inventory/Details/159ca854-541d-4760-aef8-659a55834d60
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolgart,_Western_Australia
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-01-31/hopes-to-restore-bolgart-pub-through-crowd-funding/7127912
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-09-23/bolgart-residents-buy-local-pub/12688664
Photos:
Caves House 1908
https://purl.slwa.wa.gov.au/slwa_b1917764_1
John Scaddan 1914
https://purl.slwa.wa.gov.au/slwa_b6605591_2
Caves House 1915
https://purl.slwa.wa.gov.au/slwa_b6628983_1
Bruce Rock Hotel 1915
https://purl.slwa.wa.gov.au/slwa_b2515296_1
https://purl.slwa.wa.gov.au/slwa_b2946416_9
Corrigin 1915
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/page/3493780
Corrigin 1918
https://purl.slwa.wa.gov.au/slwa_b3046702_1
Corrigin 1929
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/37674900?searchTerm=corrigin%20hotel
Corrigin 1935
https://purl.slwa.wa.gov.au/slwa_b3419302_2
Bolgart 1935
https://purl.slwa.wa.gov.au/slwa_b4625334_1
Aftermath of Dwellingup 1961 fire (album)
https://encore.slwa.wa.gov.au/iii/encore/record/C__Rb4495471?lang=eng
Kwolyin Hotel 1983
https://purl.slwa.wa.gov.au/slwa_b2483742_1
Dwellingup Hotel 1989
