Past meets present at Mundaring

RUNNING a heritage-listed tourism establishment has a number of advantages, as well as challenges.

Just ask Mundaring Weir Hotel proprietor Jens Jorgensen, or owner of the Mahogany Inn, June Aveling.

Since buying the establishment in 1984, Mr Jorgensen has transformed it from an ageing hotel to the tourist experience it is today.

What was it he saw that convinced him he could make a viable tourism and entertainment business?

"I could see the possibilities of the place. I could see that it was a most unique place," Mr Jorgensen told Business Class.

"Not only that, but it is surrounded by the dam catchment on all areas, so it will never get built out.

"Now that it is heritage-listed, it is even more protected from future development."

The hotel is one of the oldest fully licensed premises in the state, having been licensed to serve alcohol following the discovery that sly grog was rampant in the community, which at the time was living predominantly in squatter tents.

It was built in 1898 to serve the community working on the Mundaring Dam and pipeline, which was built to pipe water to the gold-rich but thirsty Goldfields population.

In fact, despite being about 800 kilometres from the Goldfields, it was originally called the Goldfields Weir Hotel.

Pipeline engineer CY O'Connor had strong links with the place, often spending nights at the hotel while working at the weir, as a daily commute from Perth in a horse and cart was unviable.

Customers have been drawn to the Mundaring Weir Hotel by the combination of history and atmosphere, particularly through Mr Jorgensen's program of summer concerts and Sunday afternoon bush band performances.

One of the biggest challenges Mr Jorgensen has encountered has been bureaucracy, with council approval for the concerts difficult to obtain.

The popular events have attracted a range of high-profile performers, including acclaimed concert pianist David Helfgott and contemporary Australian performers The Black Sorrows, Kate Ceberano and Christine Anu.

"I couldn't do anything without getting council approval first," Mr Jorgensen says.

"I had to really prove myself, that I was going to act properly and responsibly. I had to prove that I wasn't just going to be a flash in the pan."

Mahogany Inn owner June Aveling agrees running a heritage establishment can be challenging, with maintenance taking up a large part of management time and funds.

But, she says the historical value of the hotel is worth it, and it is its own drawcard for people who want to spend a little time reminiscing about Perth's colonial past.

"People who used to come to the inn in the 1970s still visit, and tell us what it was like then," Mrs Aveling says.

"Many people have come in and shared their knowledge of the history with us."

The Avelings took over the inn last year, having been frequent visitors in the 1970s to enjoy its famous Devonshire teas and wander through the museum.

More than 30 years later, the couple has returned, this time as custodians of the inn and its history.

Before the Avelings, previous owners Paula and Darren Smith took over the inn in 2004 after it had been closed for several months and was extremely run down.The couple rejuvenated the restaurant, tavern and function facilities, with the help of a grant from the Heritage Council of WA, and re-established the business.

The Mahogany Inn has a special place in WA's historical annuls, although the date of its establishment remains uncertain. (Some suggest it opened around 1837, while historians contest the date may be closer to 1842.)

It was a rest stop for army conveys protecting the mail deliveries against bushranger attacks from Perth to York. In 1842 it became a wayside inn for travellers to York, and has served this purpose ever since.

Legend has it the hotel provided safe haven for infamous WA bushranger Moondyne Joe.

In one story, Moondyne Joe was hiding in the attic of the Mahogany Inn when police broke into the room. He escaped from a window, slid down the roof and landed on one of the policemen's horses, on which he made his getaway.

The heritage council recently granted the owners $30,000 to restore the historic attic, which has fallen into disrepair and been closed to the public.

But it's not all history, with two contemporary establishments creating stories of their own in Mundaring.

Together with the Mundaring Weir Hotel, French restaurant The Loose Box and Little Caesars Pizzeria were earlier this month recognised by the Shire of Mundaring for helping make the area a tourist hot spot.

The three businesses were acknowledged for their role in attracting visitors, providing employment opportunities and boosting the local economy.

Acknowledged as one of the state's best restaurants, The Loose Box has twice been voted best restaurant in Australia, and was in the top 10 Gourmet Traveller's reader's choice awards.

Little Caesars Pizzeria has also gathered notoriety of its own in recent years, winning the 2006 Las Vegas Chef Wars, 2004 Americas Plate New York, and all four categories of the Australian Dairy Farmer Best of the Best.