Pubs of Albany: The Albany Hotel stands the test of time in the heart of York Street

Pubs are community hubs where friendships are made, romances sparked and business deals brokered. Bad things can happen in places where people gather and drinks flow, but for the most part, these establishments are the keepers of fond memories. The watering holes of Albany are among the oldest in the State. In an ongoing series, the Advertiser explores their colourful history. In part seven, we have one off the wood at The Albany Hotel. It is one of the oldest pubs in the oldest town in WA and its frothies still pair perfectly with a punt or a game of darts. Perhaps more than any other pub, The Albany Hotel has stayed true to its roots. And alongside its cold brews, the pub also has a history that’s full of surprises, featuring fraudsters, spirited publicans and a tenacious darts culture. But while all agree that The Albany Hotel is rich in history, not everyone is certain about when that history started. Some believe The Albany Hotel was established in 1835, making it WA’s oldest pub — indeed, the hotel’s signage says as much. But others say the pub got its start in the 1890s. The confusion might stem from the fact that while the pub is one of a kind now, this wasn’t always the case. Back in the 1830s there was a different pub called The Albany Hotel that could be found at the bottom of York Street. According to a 2016 document from the Albany Historical Society, that was the fourth hotel built in Albany. “There was a fourth hotel, named the Albany in York Street, but neither the site nor the name appears to have any connection with The Albany Hotel built 50 years later,” it reads “This earlier hotel was owned by John Craigie who had arrived in Perth and bought land in St George’s Terrace but moved to Albany in 1834. “After working in the rural and whaling industries he became the licensee of the Albany Hotel.” But other sources disagree with that account. In a letter addressed to the Albany Public and Information Service Library in 1955, Gloria Derry said her research showed that The Albany Hotel building was constructed in the 1840s. “The present Albany Hotel, formerly known as The Horse and Groom Hotel, stands (at) 244 York Street,” it reads. “On the 8th December, 1840, the property was originally granted, in consideration of certain location duties, to Mr Patrick Taylor for a peppercorn rent. “On the 16th July, 1889, the property was transferred to John Norrish and in October 1889 he opened the Horse and Groom Inn. “During 1890, Mr Norrish applied unsuccessfully for a publican’s general license and was refused on the grounds that there were already enough licenses in the town. In 1892, (a new tenant) applied for a publican’s general license and the name was changed to The Albany Hotel.” From that point on, the pub quickly became a favourite spot for many Albany clubs and groups, including the Albany Football Association which hosted Wagin’s football team in 1912. “The visitors were the guests of the Albany Football Association at dinner on Saturday night at The Albany Hotel,” an article from the Albany Advertiser reads. “Upwards of 40 others sat down. Dinner over, an interval was allowed for the re-arrangement of the room and a lively smoke social followed.” It must have been a particularly wild night with “handsome gold medals” presented and “songs and recitations rendered”. One of the owners, Bob Dickinson, was particularly keen to promote his business’s connection to footy. “Wearer of red and white, well-liked by all the boys, when Dicky kicks a goal or two the air is filled with hoys,” a 1930 advertisement in the Advertiser reads. Alongside the footy, the hotel featured prominently in the local darts scene. With teams from all the major pubs in town — including the Freemasons, White Star and Royal George — darts game were a chance to catch up during a busy week. And almost nothing would stop the action, not even the outbreak of war. Days after the declaration of World War II, The Albany Hotel darts club had another battle on their mind, taking on their “apple growing friends” in the Mt Barker darts club on September 11 1939. “The local experts are anxious to avenge a decisive defeat inflicted on them by their apple-growing friends last week at Mt Barker,” the 1939 Mount Barker and Denmark Record reads. While The Albany Hotel team got the chocolates that week, they didn’t quite go all the way in the 1939 season, going down to competition favourites, The White Star Hotel, in the 1939 grand finale. As war raged on, The Albany Hotel continued to bring in the customers but some were playing more naughty games than darts. As a military parade made its way along York Street, a fraudster staying at The Albany Hotel claimed he was a navy lieutenant on leave. The parade charade landed him in court. “A naval control service officer stationed at Albany stated that defendant had come under his notice on Boxing Day as a guest at a local hotel while watching a military parade,” The West Australian reported in 1941. “(The) defendant said he should be participating in the march as he was a member of His Majesty’s forces on leave from Ballarat and had conducted 1200 Germans and 200 Czechs to Australia. “He would be going overseas again to bring some more. His actions were ... those of a very foolish man.” More than 50 years later, the fun continues at The Albany. Over that time, the hotel seemed to be making a slow transition away from its roots. But when David and Christine McLean became proprietors in 2006, they set about returning the pub to its former glory. “It had really turned into a restaurant with a bar attached to it so we went back to a traditional pub, looking after the locals,” Mr McLean told the Advertiser in 2017. Current owner Neville Walton, who has been running the business since 2017, said he had also done his best to keep the hotel’s historic traditions alive. “One thing about The Albany Hotel is it’s one of the only traditional hotels left in Albany,” Mr Walton said. “I’m 65 now and that tradition of a pub where you can walk in and get the beer you want whenever you want is fantastic.” And there is still a darts competition, with a new generation of players rising through the ranks ready to meet any challenge from those apple growers in Mt Barker.