In 1887, Mr. George H. Lewis was licensee of the West End Hotel. The hotel also included his blacksmith and wheelwright business.
In 1891, Mr. Patrick O’Reilly had the licence for the West End Hotel, and it was owned by Mrs Mary O’Connell.
29 January 1899 – Transfer of West End Hotel license from Mrs. Annie McLoughlin to Mr. Joseph A. Catip.
‘What might have proved a most disastrous fire occurred this morning about two o’clock. Some gentlemen sleeping on the verandah of Shakespeare’s Hotel were awakened by the glare of flames on the opposite side of the street. An alarm was instantly given, and it was found the kitchen of the West End Hotel was burning fiercely. Plenty of help was available and with considerable difficulty the fire was at length extinguished. A strong easterly wind was blowing, and had the main building of the hotel caught the whole block would in all probability have been destroyed’.
Capricornian, 14 December 1901
In 1909, the West End Hotel narrowly survived the big fire that swept along the street on 10 August, destroying seventeen buildings.
Mrs Ellen Dobbins was the owner and licensee of the West End Hotel from 1912.
January 1913 – License of the West End Hotel is transferred from Mrs. Ellen Dobbins to Mrs. Elizabeth Donlan.
10 October 1914 – ownership and license of the West End Hotel is transferred from Mrs. Elizabeth Donlan to Mr. Bernard Charles.
In October 1915, it wasn’t so lucky, being destroyed by a fire that started in Beech Street probably behind Butler’s Auction rooms.
Tenders were called for the erection of a new hotel in November 1915. The new hotel, in a grander style, was operating in 1916 from the same site.
The license was transferred from Annie McLoughlin to Joseph A. Catip on 26 October 1918.
The second hotel stood until 1920 when it was burnt down again in another large street fire.
It was not rebuilt after the second destruction.
Excerpts from Western Champion report on 1920 street fire
On 28 February 1920 Joseph A. Catip asked the Licensing Court to carry on business in a temporary bar on the site of the destroyed premises of the West End Hotel. Police offered no objections and the application was approved.
