Large Framed Painting of the Vasse Hotel

The original Vasse Hotel stood on the South side of the present building. It was a low structure of wattle and daub, built in the 1840s and apparently the scene of many a wild and woolly night out. The hotel was built for Gavin Forrest, probably by George Chapman who was a well known builder in the Busselton area at that time. Gavin Forrest was the step son of Daniel and Mrs McGregor and the Vasse Hotel commissioned by him is believed to be the first hotel built in the district. It was opened by Gavin, who had the first licence issued in the district in 1848.

Daniel McGregor was the licensee from 1854 -1856 and whilst still the licensee of the hotel, he bought 900 acres of land from Colonel Molloy for £350, which he named ‘Commetville' but which was later renamed Cometvale. He commenced farming there in 1858 and lived there till his death in 1898.

The assessed value of the Vasse Hotel, lot 144 dated March 10th 1871 was £60 (120 dollars). On the 22nd January 1850 the value of the hotel was £200 (400 dollars).

Mary Forrest was the proprietor in 1864 and she was followed by William Leaf on the 26th December 1867.

Arthur Moore became the licensee in 1894 and when the first train arrived in the Vasse, at 6.00 pm on the 15th December of that year, with the Commissioner of Railways on board, Mr Moore was allowed to keep the hotel open until 1.00 am. On the following 19th special permission was given to Mr Moore to keep the hotel open for 3 the nights of the 20th, 21st, 22nd and also to supply liquor for the Show Ball until 6.00 am. In 1895 Mr Moore was elected Mayor of the town and open house was granted for the Vasse Hotel till 1.00 am the next day.

Mr S.Copley, a financier, owned the hotel in 1900 and the licensee was Martin Davey who was replaced by Mr Henry Maxted in February 1901.

In 1904 Mr Hough became the owner and publican of the Vasse Hotel and he was followed by Mr Hurley, but it changed hands again when Mr Hurley became the licensee of the Busselton Hotel and Mr Christie of Kalgoorlie took over the Vasse Hotel.

On October 4th 1905 the South West News reported the old Vasse was condemned by the Health Officer, Dr Farmer who recommended that it be demolished.

On December 12th 1906 the South West News reported the fire alarm being raised at Busselton by the violent ringing of bells and lusty shouts of some residents returning from a late night out. The original Vasse Hotel was found to be a mass of flames and was totally destroyed. The same paper however reported that this was not the disaster that it might have been as a new hotel had already been built and the old building was only being used as a store room. The exact date when the new building was opened was not mentioned. The writer who recorded the destruction of the old building said ”The demolition of the old place removes another of the pioneer Vasse landmarks - one which old residents relate saw many stirring episodes in the early 1850s when it disputed with the Ship Tavern for the reputation for the most popular hostelry in the South West.”

In 1907 Mr David McArthur Stone came to Busselton. He was born in Victoria and when his education was completed, served his apprenticeship of 4 years to become a chemist with Mr Carr of Bunbury. In 1907 he came to Busselton and took over the lease of the Vasse Hotel. He continued as proprietor till 1912 when he decided to take up farming in the Busselton area.

Other owners and licensees have come and gone since then, till in 1982 the Busselton Margaret River Times reported in October that an air of nostalgia pervaded the Vasse Hotel when longstanding residents gathered for a final drink at the public bar before it was removed as part of major renovations taking place. When these alterations were made they brought to light at least one memory of the past, when a mantlepiece was removed, behind it was found an ‘In memoriam card* for Nellie Tait who died in 1901 at the age of 35 years. The card contained a photograph of the lady. Whether she was an old resident of Busselton and how long the card had been hidden there, no one knows.

From THE BUSSELTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER JANUARY 1984