The Note has a fondness for the hotels on Kalgoorlie’s Hannan Street, and none more than the 112-year-old Australia.
Not only does the wide-balconied, two-storey pub sit on the key town junction where Maritana Street dissects the main drag, but is also at another crossroads.
The building, which is currently leased to the Kalgoorlie School of Mines for student accommodation, is vacant and there is a cloud over the future of the tertiary institution’s Goldfields presence.
So it’s not surprising its owners, the Hicks family, are wondering what to do with their central Kalgoorlie premises, which survived the recent earthquake untouched.
In fact, notwithstanding the historic nature of the hotel, they have chosen a very modern medium to seek out alternative uses for the grand old establishment – publishing a Facebook page entitled ‘The Australia Hotel – what do we do with it?’
So far the responses are slow as most readers are clearly putting their thinking caps on.
Suggestions thus far are a glam bar restaurant serving only bush tucker (including WA seafood) and a day spa for men and women, which serves champagne on arrival with a light lunch to follow.
So very Kal.
Good luck.
