Moreton Terrace
This was the first inn in Dongara, built in 1867 by expiree Joseph Walton, and was known as the Irwin Arms. The original structure forms the core of the present building. The hotel licence was gazetted on 28 April 1868 and was licensed to sell only liquor and meals with no accommodation being available. Court proceedings were held in the Irwin Arms prior to the construction of the Courthouse. The Irwin Arms was purchased by William Criddle the Younger in 1902 after selling the first Dongara Hotel. At the time the hotel had 12 bedrooms and 3 sitting rooms. He re-named the Irwin Arms as the Dongarra Hotel, and immediately had a billiards room built on the east end. In 1908 he completely renovated and extended the old building, engaging architects Oldham & Cox of Fremantle to design the new range of bars and public rooms facing Irwin Road (now Moreton Terrace) in an Edwardian Italianate style. The new hotel was the first building in Dongara to be lit by acetylene gas lights. When it was completed, a visitor described it as “not only an up-to-date hotel, but one of the most substantial and presentable buildings in that cosy little township.” (Geraldton Express, 2 October 1908). Dentists and doctors used the ‘Commercial Room’ as late as 1963 as a consulting room and the barber and illegal betting shop were located at the east end of the building.
Dongara Hotel formerly Irwin Arms, 1910 I IRME1674
