DESCRIPTION
Broomehill is in the Great Southern region of Western Australia around 320 kilometres from the capital city of Perth.
The area has traditionally relied on wheat and sheep farming but in recent years farmers have been diversifying into new areas to help improve income.
Sadly the old hotel in town is no longer operating but there is some hope that it will be renovated and re-opened.
The first hotel in town was constructed in 1889 and was a galvanised iron construction.
The Imperial Hotel first began operating in 1902 and ceased trading in 2019. In 2022 a group of local residents got together to form the
Broomehill Village Cooperative with the aim of raising funds to purchase the hotel and bring it back to life.
There is a trend across rural Australia for cooperatives like this to take ownership of their local pubs and to keep them operating
and in local hands. Kulin is one of the success stories and we hope Broomehill will be another.
If you would like to help, you can get in touch with the BVC on their Facebook page. See the link in the description below this video.
In our travels we have seen too many local hotels closing their doors and reversing this trend is important for bringing these community hubs
back to their former glory.
He hotel has variously been known as the Broomehill Hotel, Sheridan’s Imperial Hotel, Jack Watts’ Imperial Hotel and of course, just the
plain old Imperial Hotel.
At one time there was a co-op store between the hotel and the town hall. The building was destroyed in an arson attack in 1993.
The Broomehill Museum is a small brick building built in 1898 originally serving as a town hall. It was then repurposed into a Mechanic’s
Lodge and eventually into a Church. Today, it is used as a museum, holding a treasure trove of interesting machinery and memorabilia.
The museum is set for a refurbishment and upgrade to breathe new life into the historical site.
There is a small council run caravan park in town. The sites may be a bit small for bigger rigs but most caravans and motorhomes
will fit in without any fuss.
The facilities are what you would normally expect and the nightly rate is reasonable compared to many other similar parks.
HISTORY
Settlement began in the 1860s when John Machail of Albany took up a pastoral lease near what was to become
the settlement of Eticup.
Eticup was never surveyed, despite at one time boasting a number of buildings.
With the arrival of the railway in 1889 a siding was constructed where Broomehill stands today and as Eticup fell out of favour as a new
settlement started near the siding and the development of Broomehill began.
Broomehill is the second town in W.A. named after Sir Frederick Napier Broome.. Originally the name was separated into two words, Broome Hill, but changed in 1959 to become the single word version we know today.
The town was gazetted in 1890 by the Western Australian Land Company. The road board district was excised from
Kojonup in 1892 and the site was officially recognised by the government in 1897.
A police station was established in 1892 and following the discovery of gold at Coolgardie in 1893,
John Holland blazed a trail that became known as Holland's Track (what imagination!). Prospectors travelled to Broomehill by
train and then began the arduous 450km trek to the goldfields on foot.
The Holland Track has today been mainly overtaken by farmland but several now unconnected parts of the original track can still
be followed via wheat belt roads through the area. The eastern part of the Holland Track still passes through virgin bushland out
past the Rabbit Proof Fence. This route can be covered by the following strip maps - part
of a heritage trail opened to travellers in 1993.
No fuel or water is available between Hyden and Coolgardie, so you must carry enough to safely travel at
least 360km. To have enough time to explore the attractions along the track, allow at least three days. The trip is probably best
done in spring when the wildflowers are at their best and temperatures are still low. Rain can make the track almost impassable so
it is best tackled in dry weather.
Robert Henry (Harry) Jones settled in Broome hill in 1894 after arriving from England by way of Melbourne.
He built a general store in 1905 that was later sold to Drew & Robinson of Albany. The building we see today was built in 1911.
It is built in the Federation Free Classical style and is an iconic building with an impressive presence in town.
The building once housed a General Store, Bakery, Butcher, and an office of the Union Bank.
The building was renovated and turned into a winery and cafe, restaurant, art and craft gallery and bed and breakfast.
We have attempted to find out the opening hours as those listed online don’t seem to be accurate but so far we haven’t been successful.
St Elizabeth church started its life as a police station in 1892. It is one of the oldest buildings in town.
The building was converted to a church in 1953 and there is a stained glass windows that pays tribute to lieutenant Frank Richardson,
who was killed in action in New Guinea in December 1943, aged 20.
Built in 1892, the Broomehill Post Office had been delivering mail for the Broomehill community for over 100 years. The post office
has been renovated to include a small gift and stationery shop. Local tourist information and brochures are also available at the site.
The Broomehill Agricultural hall was constructed in 1898. We believe the current hall dates from 1928.
TALL TALES AND TRUE
Pigs Might Fly
Mrs. T. Norrish. Early Days Vol 3.
'Eaglehawks were very plentiful at first. They carried off lambs and even attacked ewes at times. One day I heard a commotion at the pig sty and ran out to see an
eagle carrying away a young pig. I shouted to the men and my husband shot the bird through the head as he was balancing himself on a limb. It fell with the pig to
the ground. The latter was none the worse for its rise or fall, though it carried the marks of the eagle's claws all its life. This proves the truth of the prophecy
that pigs might fly.'
VIDEO
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OTHER INFORMATION
ATTRACTIONS
St. Elizabeth's church, Wadjekanup Bridge, Hayfield Reserve, Boot Rock.
BUILDINGS OF NOTE
Jones Building.
ELECTORAL ZONES
State : Wagin
Federal : O'Connor
OTHER INFO.
Postcode : 6318
Local Government : Shire of Broomehill-Tambellup
PHOTOS
Click on a thumbnail to see full sized picture.
