Boomi - Pioneer Hotel

William Jakins helped cut the timber for the Pioneer Hotel at the pit-saw, five miles from Boomi on the Garah road. William Jakins held the first licence of the hotel when it was built in 1899. The Pioneer Hotel was a single-storey building with a wide verandah round two sides and a hitching rail on either side of Bishop and Duff Streets to tie up the horses. The rooms were large, providing a public bar, lounge and a tea room. Out the back were rooms for the weary travellers, with a wash house and stables. There was a pole on the street corner for the lantern to hang which provided the street lighting. Later a ladder leaned against the pole to ignite the carbide light.

John Carmody held the lease in 1911 when the two-storey living quarters were added at the western end of the hotel. In 1920 the hotel was condemned and the licensee, Herb Bruen, had the roof lifted to construct the second storey for accommodation as well as making general improvements.

The hotel remained basically the same with only minor repairs through to the 1970s when it was again condemned. Bruno Vukovich purchased the Pioneer Hotel and his son, Peter with Sue and family came to Boomi. He built a temporary bar on the southern side of the hotel and operated from there while the repairs were carried out. Major reconstruction transformed the old timber building inside, with all modern facilities. Outside, the brickwork with white pillars around the awning has enhanced, rather than spoilt, the style and character of the old hotel. The Pioneer was reopened in December, 1976 and still remains a popular meeting place. Some people call it "their other office"

PIONEER HOTEL LICENSEES

William Jakins 1899    Herbert Bruen   1919     John O'Sullivan      1953
John Hitchens  1907    Mrs Skippen     1928     Ken & Arnold Breach  1956
James Duncan   1908    Albert Flower   1936     Ken Breach           1958
McGowan Bros.  1909    Edward Russell  1937     Holgate              1961
James Lamkin   1910    Kealey          1938     Frances Collyer      1962 
John Carmody   1911    James Loftus    1943     Betty Law            1970
Gunthorpe      1915    John O'Sullivan 1947     Harry Edwards        1972
Carter         1917    John Nevin      1949     Peter Vukovich       1973      

All historical information and B & W Pictures contained in this site are from the book UP ON THE BORDER BOOMI by Ellen Allen, published in 1988, and used with permission.

Kunopia - The Township	Village of Boomi	The Artesian Bore	Boomi Post Office
Royal Hotel	Pioneer Hotel	Police Station	Boomi Public School