Heritage hotel struggles to find buyer amid soaring restoration costs
The 128-year-old Cornwall Hotel is for sale as heritage rules and skilled labour shortages deter buyers.
A stone pub built in 1898 in Western Australia's Goldfields has been listed for sale at over $1 million. The Cornwall Hotel was built by Cornish miners during the gold rush and survived riots and earthquakes.
The Cornwall Hotel last traded as a pub in 2010 when an earthquake caused severe damage. While structural repairs were completed with government help, the interior still needs work.
Real estate agent James Brennan said heritage rules and a shortage of qualified stonemasons make restoration hard. A retired local stonemason called his trade a 'dying craft'.
He warned that historic buildings risk demolition when owners cannot find the skilled workers needed to preserve them. Mining companies needing worker homes are seen as potential buyers.
- 128 years old
- Age
- 1898
- Construction year
- Over $1 million
- Asking price
- Boulder, Western Australia Goldfields
- Location
Why it mattersThe hotel's struggle highlights a crisis in heritage preservation: Australia's skilled building trades are vanishing, and listed properties become stranded when owners cannot afford costly restoration.
AustraliaWestern Australia faces a broader crisis where historic buildings cannot be saved because skilled stonemasons and traditional tradespeople are disappearing, threatening the state's colonial heritage.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 9 d ago
