The Cornwall Hotel – Boulder
Built in 1898 in the town of Boulder (which in 1989 became the city of Kalgoorlie-Boulder.) The Cornwall Hotel has a long and dark history, with links to riots, police murders and prostitution.
1926 saw the murder of Detective-sergeant Alexander Pitman and Inspector John Walsh. The two officers had recently caught out the owner and bartender, the two men, and another man, had been found with gold ore on their possession stolen from a local mine, of which the men were then smelting themselves and selling, it is through this was the motive behind the killing of the officers.
Although the killings, of which were gruesome, did not occur at the Hotel, it is still sometimes thought that the officers are haunting there as a reminder to the three men – the two officers were found in a local mine shaft just outside town, brutally and savagely murdered and dismembered.
Treffene and Coulter were duly hung for their crimes in Fremantle Gaol, Clarke, who turned in his friends (and did not take part in the murders), spent a little time in Gaol, he was pardoned for his part in the crime and received a reward for information.
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| Northern Star (Lismore, NSW 1876 - 1954), Thursday 1 July 1926, page 5 |
In 1934 the hotel was extensively damaged during local race riots, unemployment was coming down hard on the workers of the goldfields, who were finding it hard to make ends meet, their anger was aimed towards the harder working Italian and Slavic community that had sprung up around the mines.
The townsfolk took over the local trams, and went to Boulder, where they began attacking anyone of “foreign” appearance, the unruly mob began to set fires in any buildings that foreigners used, including the Cornwall hotel – after three days the riots simmered down, but the damage was done
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| 1934 after riot damage |
The hotel was repaired and opened again until 1976 when it closed down entirely, only to reopen in 1987 and be fully restored to its former glory.
The hotel has long been rumoured to be haunted, with multiple deaths, some natural some murder, happening in-between its walls.....
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Pitman and Walsh do not present at the Cornwall, however there is a gentle young woman who sits quietly in room 2,at the top of the stairs next to the Managers Room. Apparently she was thrown down the stairs, you can feel a 'cold' spot on the landing half way down the stairs where she passed.
ReplyDeleteGeorgina. I've stayed in the Cornwall a few times back in the early-mid 90s. Knew the managers and helped out on occasion. The cleaner used to hear knocks from the bar floor, where it was believed Pitman and Walsh were dismembered. With only two of us in the place after locking up one night someone was running up and down the hall upstairs. Another night the kitchen was locked up and some drinks were being had in the bar and a hell of a noise came from inside the kitchen two of us shot down there i unlicked the door myself, and found an entire cutlery draw upside down in the floor.
ReplyDeleteI've slept in room 2, once, resulted in a massive headache and general "unwellness".
But the cracker.... finished up in the kitchen one night, locked it up, headed to the bar where the rest if the team were cracking into some drinks, including the manager. But I was a little confused and when I asked them why drinks were being opened while patrons were still in the restaurant they also becamse a little confused, they didnt know what I was talking about. When walking down the hall toward the bar I had glanced into the first dining room, and with his back to the right hand wall was a chap sitting at a table head bowed, wearing a grey suit, sad looking.
We ALL ran back to the room where there was nothing. I felt like a bit if a that, but even so many years later I swear someone was there.