Settlers House, York

Settlers House is a historic hotel in the centre of York, Western Australia.

Settlers House
Former namesAE Pyke Temperance Hotel, Inkpen Building
General information
Address125 Avon Terrace
Town or cityYork, Western Australia
Construction started1861
Renovatedpost 1972
References
York municipal inventory

First owner

The first owner of the land was John Taylor, a farmer of Yangedin. He paid £10 for a Crown Grant on 25 July 1855.[1]

Next door, to the north, was “a house containing 6 rooms, blacksmith’s shop and other premises” leased to blacksmith Henry Stevens by Solomon Cook.[2]

Construction

Henry Stevens, an expiree who had arrived as a convict in 1852,[3] bought the Settlers block in November 1860 for £40.[4] He was also a building contractor[5] and he appears to have constructed or commenced construction of the old section of Settlers building in 1861.[6]

From 1863, Henry Stevens frequently used ticket-of-leave labour, so it is likely that some of the building was convict built.[7]

Use as an inn

The building was used as a travellers’ inn, with plenty of space between the building and Avon Terrace for coaches. In the forecourt was the town's public well where residents could obtain their water supplies and water their horses. This was the likely terminus for Thomas Horton's coachline from Guildford to York.[8][9]

In 1875 the property was bought by Mary Craig for £462.[10]

Office for the Eastern Districts Chronicle

In 1877, the left hand side of the building was rented to George Inkpen, who ran the first newspaper in the district, the Eastern Districts Chronicle. The editorial offices were on the top floor and the printing plant was situated on the ground floor (where the bar now is).[8][11] The Eastern Districts Chronicle continued to publish until 1959.

Cobb & Co

In 1892, for a short period Cobb & Co ran a coach from York to the Yilgarn, with bookings at the Castle Hotel.[12]

Movements and shops

In April 1899, Mrs AE Pyke, who had run a "Temperance Hotel" in South Street, moved the business to the Settlers building and occupied the accommodation section on the right hand side.[13] She moved to Dinsdale's Shoe Emporium in 1909 and George Ding moved his boarding house business from Penola House at 156 Avon terrace into the premises.[14]

In 1906, a row of shops was constructed along the front.[8] One business run from there was the Regal Tea Rooms run by A W Pyke.[15] A variety of businesses still operate from these shops.

The Inkpen family purchased the building in 1929 and it became known as the Inkpen Building.[8]

Restoration

After the Eastern Districts Chronicle closed down, the left side of the building was empty but the right side continued to be used as a boarding house. Some interior walls were damaged during the 1968 Meckering earthquake and the whole building became empty. The building was purchased by interior designer Eric Turton in 1972 and restored to how it was in 1875. One of his first jobs was to cut back the overgrown vines which obscured the view of the building.[16]

In 1981, Turton sold to Peter Briggs who had also purchased and established the York Motor Museum. Briggs extended the old building back towards Howick St.[8]

Tavern

Settlers House continues today as a tavern with a bar and internal and external dining areas, and is known for its live music.

References
  1. Crown Grant ET1266
  2. Inquirer 31 January 1855, p.2; Inquirer and Commercial News 17 June 1857, p.2
  3. R Erickson: Dictionary of Western Australians
  4. Landgate Deeds and Ordinances Index VI 421/2662 23 November 1860.
  5. For example he was paid £104 in August 1860 to construct St John’s Church: The Perth Gazette and Independent Journal of Politics and News, 3 August 1860, p.2.
  6. In 1861, Henry Stevens purchased the property two down to the south (now the pharmacy) for £40 and mortgaged that and the Settlers property and portion of Location Y17 for £200, indicating major improvements on the Settlers property, funded by the mortgage.
  7. R Erickson: Dictionary of Western Australians
  8. AM (Tony) Clack and Jenni McColl, York Sketchbook, The York Society, 2003, p.14.
  9. Henry Stevens most likely continued to use the property to the north as his blacksmith shop as in 1868 he bought that property for £180: Landgate Deeds and Ordinances Index VI/421/2662.
  10. Landgate Deeds and Ordinances Index VII/266/1776 and VII/290/1899. Mary Craig paid £122 to buy the property from Henry Stevens (subject to the mortgage) and a few months later, she paid £340 to clear the mortgage, a total price of £462.
  11. Eastern Districts Chronicle, 5 January 1878, p.4.
  12. Eastern Districts Chronicle, 9 July 1892, p.4.
  13. Eastern Districts Chronicle, 29 April 1899, p.1.
  14. Eastern Districts Chronicle, 8 May 1909, p2.
  15. Eastern Districts Chronicle, 7 July 1922.
  16. From notes provided by the current owners of Settlers House.

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