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Rose & Crown,
Guidford,
Perth,
au
Overview
The Rose and Crown in historic Guildford, is the oldest
trading hotel in Western Australia. Thomas Jecks established the hotel in
1841. Renovations are in keeping with the buildings heritage, including
the original cellars. The cellar has now been fully opened as a bar, but,
during the conversion a great deal of Paranormal activity was reported.
Rumour has it that a tunnel leads from the Rose and Crown down to the Swan
River. This could well be, as smuggeling was prolific and the river would
be used to transport contraband. No tunnel was found though during the
removations. The cellar does boast an original well, which would have been
used for the pubs water supply, and this is only 20ft deep - so any tunnel
would have to be shallower than that depth - or be completly flooded out.
Historical Stuff
There are original stables behind the bar, complete with
stablemen accomodation, said to have been reserved for Ahfgan camel
drivers, and demonstrate a way of life no longer practiced. The stables
are somewhat dilapidated but their original intent
remains clear.
The builder and first owner of this hotel, Thomas Jecks,
arrived in Western Australia with his father, Isaac Jecks, on the Calista
on the 5th August 1829. Thomas Jecks was assigned Guildford Allotment 42
in March 1839 and applied for the freehold in August 1840 after purchasing
the land from F Whitfield. He began by opening a store on the site, for
which an advertisement appeared in July 1840. However, not long after this
he let the premises to William Robinson, who opened a clothescleaning and
silk-dyeing business there.3 The first contemporary reference to the name
'Rose and Crown' that has been found occurs in a notice in the Perth
Gazette on March 12th, 1842. Thus it is possible that the existing main
building was constructed in 1840 but not operated as an inn until 1841.
Thomas Jecks always referred to his business as the 'Rose and Crown Inn'.
It was not referred to as the 'Rose and Crown Hotel' until the 1870s. It
was operated as a general store and warehouse as well as an hotel. This is
the reason for the extensive cellars beneath it. The multiple roles of the
business is made clear in an advertisement of 1844:
ROSE AND CROWN INN, GUILDFORD
The undersigned respectfully informs the public, that he
has retaken the above premises, and will carry on business as usual at the
reduced charges as under for Cash or Barter only, viz.
PARLOUR - Breakfast 1s 6d; dinner 2s; tea 1s 6d.
TAP - Breakfast 1s; dinner 1s 6d; tea 1s 6d.
STABLING - Bait 1s, Form 1s per feed, hay, each per day
or night 2s; ditto day and night 3s 6d. Persons finding their own hay or
corn, a charge of 6d per head per day, and 1s per day and night. On goods
warehoused, a reduction of 50 per cent.
ON SALE
A variety of clothing, boots, sugar, tea, coffee,
ginger, salt, pepper, tobacco, flour, butter, nails, etc. Also, good
strong bullock cart.
THOMAS JECKS
Guildford, Sept. 23, 1844.
After Thomas Jecks death in 1856, the inn continued to
operate under the management of his widow and the eldest son, Thomas. A
younger son, Walter, was employed as barman in 1879 and took over as
licensee about 1880. Jecks left the neighbouring land and cottages at
number 47 & 49 to his daughter Emma on his death. (No 47 demolished).
The stables at the rear were erected about the 1880s and
the one-storey addition at the east end was built in the 1890s. In 1924,
the licence for Rose and Crown Hotel was withdrawn but the place is still
run as a private hotel and bar.
It ghost story goes as follows:
It is haunted by the ghost of 'Charlie', a cuckolded
husband. Some time last century, 'Charlie' a local bullock driver came
home unexpectedly and found his wife in bed with another man. The lover
escaped, but in a fit of rage 'Charlie' murdered his wife. The room in
which the murder took place is now a storeroom from which a ghostly
presence emanates. 'Charlie', presumably anchored to the hotel by guilt,
has been seen and heard wandering the passageways and staircases in the
dead of night. The ghost mainly moves furniture and rearranges the cutlery
and crockery after staff have laid it out. 'Charlie' has also been seen
stooped sadly in the hotel foyer, dressed in nineteenth century working
clothes and smoking a rollie.
Numerous Aussie tv shows have ventued into this pub to
'investigate', but charlie doesn't seem to like cameras!
Other things of interest:
There is a beer named after Thomas Jecks and it's very
tasty and strong!
C
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