Barmera Hotel/Motel
Overview
The Barmera Hotel Motel is conveniently located at the edge of the towns retail precinct in Barwell Avenue.
The Hotel Motel offers two restaurants, four bars, gaming area and various accommodation options with a swimming pool, barbecue area and off street parking for guests.
There’s nothing more Australian than heading off to the pub for a pot and parmi with your mates. So we’ve rounded up our favourite pub picks on our menu, dinner is done!
Barmera Hotel - History
The Barmera settlement was barred from holding a liquor licence in the beginning by The Irrigation Act of 1922 but with the nearest hotel at Berri over nine miles of rough roads, the need to establish a hotel at Barmera was apparent.
An architect involved with the early Soldiers Settlement Department, W (Bill) Lucas was prevailed upon, and the plans and specifications were drawn up. The submission was accepted, and the licence was finally granted on May 5th, 1930. A lack of finance delayed building operations, but in early 1932, H. Pike and Co, of the Oakbank Brewery, came to the rescue with a loan of £15,000 (pounds).
The original proposed site for the Hotel was on the lake front (approximately present site of the caravan park) but the specific licence to the committee chairman U.B. Anderson) showed the site moved to the present one on Barwell Avenue. ‘The Barmera Hotel Association’ was formed in June 1932, and H.S. Jarvis awarded the building contract on August 5th for a single storey hotel of 21 rooms. The Hotel was incorporated on November 30th, 1932, W.E. Dobson appointed manager and trading commenced on December 3rd. The official opening took place on December 10th, 1932. The popularity of the Hotel in its early years was such that the building was extended to two Storeys to provide 52 rooms, catering for 84 guests. The new extensions were opened on December 4th, 1936.
For the first 30-40 years of operation, trading was very profitable, with thousands of pounds (later dollars) being distributed, through the Community Centre, to local charities and sporting bodies. The Hotel also maintained the gardens in the Barwell Avenue median strip. The proliferation of Licensed Clubs in the area in the 1970’s, made it difficult for the Hotel to compete, and profits gradually declined. Despite the efforts of a succession of Boards, including the building of a two Storey motel unit, financial difficulties continued, and the Hotel was sold to private interests in October 1992.
Barmera Hotel as it looked originally as a single storey building between 1932 and 1936
Barmera Hotel, showing the addition of the second storey, added in 1936
Vintage trucks parked in front of Barmera Hotel, circa 1940’s
Crowd on the balcony of the Barmera Hotel thought to be the opening of the second storey December 4 1936jpg
Barmera Hotel front entrance facing Barwell Avenue, circa 1936
Colour photograph of the Barmera Hotel gardens showing Lake Bonney in the background. This is a copy of a tourist postcard from about the 1950’s
Barmera Hotel welcome card
Photograph showing the Barmera Hotel dining room, about 1936