Northampton’s iconic Railway Tavern set to be sold after cyclone Seroja damage

Northampton’s iconic Railway Tavern is under offer, following its destruction by cyclone Seroja last year and further damage caused by a recent mini-tornado. The 145-year-old “bottom” pub had its roof ripped off April last year when the category three cyclone swept through Northampton and other parts of the Mid West. Almost a year on, the tavern once again experienced the force of Mother Nature. Owner of the pub, Ian Trevarton, said he and his wife Kelly were in Fremantle when they heard the news. “Our neighbour phoned up to say that a tornado had just — well a willy-willy is what it actually was — came through and peeled off part of the courtyard roof and flipped it over onto the inside and it also split a tarp on the main building and lifted up part of the verandah,” he said. Faced with a damage bill of more than $1 million and the daunting task of rebuilding after cyclone Seroja, the couple ultimately decided not to repair the pub. “We haven’t done any repairs at all at this stage. Mainly because I’ve been waiting for insurance which never paid us out enough to fix it properly,” he said. “All we did was tarp it down and whenever we get severe winds it splits the tarps and we fix them again.” The recent “willy-willy” or dust storm added further insult to injury, however, Mr Trevarton said his decision to sell was already made up. “The sale was already in motion but of course, all these things you know, just add to the worry about it all,” he said. “Every time these things happen you’ve got to bring in tradesmen to try and fix it again.” While Mr Trevarton has decided to sell, the future of the tavern is still front of his mind. “Well, of course I’m concerned about it, we’ve spent 17 years completely restoring it, which we had done,” he said. “Luckily, the new owner is going to restore to its former glory, otherwise I wouldn’t have sold it to him.” WA’s Heritage Council described the hotel as having “high historic, social and aesthetic significance to Northampton and its main streetscape”.