Snapshot in Time: The turbulent history of the watering hole now known as the Geraldton Beach Hotel

Originally opened as the Shamrock Hotel in 1872, the name remained for a century, before becoming the Colonial Hotel in the 1970s. It wasn’t until the late 1990s that The Geraldton Beach Hotel name came into effect. The original building was single storey, which was renovated to include a second storey with 10 rooms and a front and rear balcony, a massive undertaking at that time. The hotel received national press coverage in 1910 when the cook Thomas Williams, infuriated by two messy diners, shot one in the chest. Another diner, A.R. Morrison, was shot in the hand while attempting to disarm Williams. Both men made full recoveries. Another incident of note took place on Christmas day in 1953, when a patron found a man he thought was asleep in the outhouse toilet. After tipping a bucket of water on the man got no response, he realised the man was dead. Some Geraldton locals may be aware of the supposed presence of a tunnel leading from the ocean to the cellar of the GBH and then continuing on to the cellar of the Geraldton Hotel. Although difficult to verify, the rumour adds a certain romance to the history of the city of Geraldton. Snapshots is an initiative of the Geraldton Regional Library. For more information, or to donate a historical photo or slide contact 9956 6659 or library@cgg.wa.gov.au