Bendemeer Hotel (Panorama)
With the rush of the settlers passing through the New England in the 1830–1850's, it wasn't long before inns and hotels began springing up in Bendemeer.
MacDonald's River was the ideal situation for businesses as it was the resting place of the teamsters, drovers and travellers and the first hotel recorded in Bendemeer was the Help Me Through Life hotel in 1845. In the 1860's, there were five hotels (or inns) in Bendemeer: The Woolpack Hotel, Royal Oak Hotel, The Steam Hotel, and The Telegraph Hotel, situated next to the Cobb and Co Station, opposite the Town Hall (later known as the Inglis Hotel), and Morley's Inn, almost where the present Bendemeer Hotel stands today, as it stood where the clotheslines are currently positioned near the present kitchen of The Bendemeer Hotel.
Many historic and interesting photographs can been seen throughout the hotel. In 1902, when the freehold of Glover's Inn changed hands, the name also changed to the Federal Hotel. History was made in 1946, with the setting up of the first beer garden outside the metropolitan area, where it still is today.
Together the Glover and O'Tool families owned The Bendemeer Hotel for eighty eight years. In 1977, Ken and Gwen Brett became the new owners, making major improvements to the hotel. Both Ken and Gwen are currently active in the Bendemeer Bowling Club and visit the hotel regularly.
Dick and Betsy Conti bought the hotel in 1985 and built the unique Bendemeer Bowling Club next door and The Bendemeer Hotel is very proud to be the only Hotel in Australia to have a Bowling Club attached.
SKILL LEVEL: Medium