Maybe some good news for the Pilbara

Whim Creek Hotel may re-open as bids sought
ABC News Updated 1 hour 18 minutes ago


The Whim Creek hotel in the Pilbara, which served last drinks in 2011, could reopen.

The pub, halfway between Roebourne and Port Hedland, had been in operation since the 1800s.

Venturex Resources acquired the hotel when it bought the Whim Creek copper project in 2010.

The company closed the pub more than a year ago while it completed a feasibility study into reopening the mine.

Venturex managing director Michael Mulroney says the company is now seeking expressions of interest to buy or lease the hotel.

"We don't anticipate coming back and mining at Whim Creek for another five or six years, so it seems a bit pointless to have the whole site there on care and maintenance, doing nothing, for five or six years when the opportunity is around," he said.

"We have some interest expressed by various parties to try and return the hotel into operation."

Mr Mulroney said the hotel closed in 2011 because the cost of keeping the facility open could not be met by the patronage.

"It's not something that's particularly suited to our business so rather than continue to have the site deteriorate for no good reason we decided to close it and put it on care and maintenance until such time as we had a plan to re-open," he said.

"We've had nearly 10 different parties contact us with different ideas and I think a number of them are going up to visit the complex over the next couple of weeks with a view that we can try and come to some sort of arrangement over the next one-to-two months, with hopefully a group that can operate the facility going forward."

Mr Mulroney said he had a preference for a group with a connection to the Pilbara to oversee the project.

The Roebourne Visitor Centre's manager Ruth Ellis says the hotel still resonates strongly with visitors.

"They come through and are quite surprised when we tell them it has closed as it is still in their brochures and what they hear along the road," she said.

Mrs Ellis says reopening the pub would help tourism.

"You have got a lot of people that go to Bella Bella and camp there and I am sure they, as well as the locals, would like to go there [Whim Creek] for a counter meal and a drink in the afternoon."

She said opening the venue would alleviate accommodation woes.

"Since it has been closed, accommodation has become more of a problem and I think accommodation there would ease it a bit.

"It's only an hour each way either from Hedland or Roebourne so it's not that bad."

geez a few of us thought about this a few years ago but couldnt decide who was goin to run the place..
U would have to spend the best part of $250k to bring it up to scratch..and that wouldnt be reinstating the fuel pumps...
But some good yarns surround those old walls...couple of nice barmaids as well --mind u on the odd occasion..


regards
oneday

Yes back in the early 80's to prospect north of the pub.Can remember swinging the bull nose ring onto the hook on the wall.
Took many attempts but the beer was cold and we never went thirsty.
Then we headed off for Hedland for the burger but then saw the sign for Marble bar so head off there in the dead of night. Managed to park up near a creek bed miles from Nullagine. Yep missed the turn off to MB so kept going. All just a great memory now. On-On Captain

krazycaptain wrote:Yes back in the early 80's to prospect north of the pub.Can remember swinging the bull nose ring onto the hook on the wall.
Took many attempts but the beer was cold and we never went thirsty.
Then we headed off for Hedland for the burger but then saw the sign for Marble bar so head off there in the dead of night. Managed to park up near a creek bed miles from Nullagine. Yep missed the turn off to MB so kept going. All just a great memory now. On-On Captain

How did you go back in the 80's north of the pub??? Ive had a bit of a scratch out there but never got a thing Seems once again im a quarter of a century late Dont suppose you know if anything was ever found in the salt/mud flats there???

had a few swings on the bull ring myself never got it but the beer was definatelly cold , was a few big nights with the hands from mallina station, good memorys hope it does re-open

Yes sir, I to have fond memories of the good ol' Whim Creek watering hole. We would book a donger come chalet and go Mud Crabbing at Balla Balla this was back in the 90's I was'nt into prospecting then and now I hear stories of people finding gold nuggets in this area. If they reopen Whim Creek it will be a good thing for Pilbaradites and tourists, I'd call in for a coldie and a BarraBurger.


Cheers Kev

Easter 1981 or 82, I can't remember it was Good Friday morning, ya had to get there early to get a spot. 4 days of fun, people came from everywhere and by the arvo there would be hundreds of people packed into the little area they called the "beer garden".
This is before the pub was painted the crappy pink and the bird cages.
If I remember correctly, they opened the pub Friday night. a few of the guys used to put there nets in the creek and it was fresh smoked fish and cold beer all weekend and they would also have live music, people with their gee tars up on the balcony.
I also remember being stoney broke by Saturday night so had to drive all the way back to Karratha to get more money and then drove back to Whim Creek again

The Whim Creek was like an oasis in the early eighties.
I stayed in an upstairs back room for 3 months, there was 3 of us carting blue metal to the main road metal dumps north of the pub.
It was hot as hell every day and the first half dozen after work never touched the sides.
I would definately be calling in on the way through if it opened again.
Neil.

Thanks for the great pics Cliff ,you can see the terrific atmosphere in the photo , pre terrorism time, just great fun & no worries ! ... Mine was in magnet round that era & id love to have the magic time machine to revisit , good ol days , cheers albo.

I just had a look at the pics again. I think we were there Thursday arvo what a bunch of desperates we were in them days
the sun was heading west, look at the shadow. it was a hell of a weekend I know that much
in case ya wondering, which ya probably not, I'm the one in the brown shirt in the second pic on the left. I was an ugly sod in them days, glad I'm beautiful looking now