A RE-EMERGENCE of strong debate by historians of what was Western Australia's first licensed hotel has been sparked by the listing of The Albany Hotel.
The confusion stems from a rather unfortunate lack of originality in pub-naming in the 1800s, with another 'Albany Hotel' living at the bottom of York Street.
According to the Albany Historical Society, today's The Albany Hotel was built in the 1890s - 50 years after the original Albany and on the opposite end of York street.
However, in a letter to the Albany Public and Information Service Library in 1955, Gloria Derry heavily disagreed and said her research showed that today's The Albany Hotel building was constructed in the 1840s.
According to Ms Derry, on December 8, 1840, the property was granted to Patrick Taylor for a peppercorn rent.
In 1889, John Norrish - with some common sense in his back pocket - bought the hotel and named it the Horse and Groom Inn to save poor Albany folks from having two 'Albanys' in the same street.
After being unsuccessful in gaining a publican's general licence, on the grounds there were enough in town already, the hotel was transferred to a new tenant and the name was changed to The Albany Hotel.
It is unclear whether the people of Albany lived in confusion after this name change, as some historical documents suggest that two The Albany Hotels existed at the same time.
However, an Albany Public Library spokesman suggested that to get around that, the other 'The Albany' was referred to as the Sherratt Family Inn, so no poor folks ever turned up at the wrong pub.
This love for naming hotels 'The Albany' has also made it difficult to trace which hotel was the first licensed in WA.
Despite the debate, the current York St Albany Hotel is still rich in history.
Throughout its lifetime, many guests from farmers to United States presidents have passed through its doors.
This includes the 31st US president Herbert Hoover, who makes an appearance in the guest book in 1900.
Owner Russell Poliwka has owned the hotel for the past 20 years and has decided it is time for him and his wife to move on to their next chapter.
"Age has beaten me - I'm now in my retirement years and none of my family is interested in having the hotel," Mr Poliwka said.
He had originally planned to keep the hotel as a long-term investment for his children, but they had developed other interests and no longer wanted to look after the hotel.
He can clearly recall the day he bought the hotel, feeling like he had "won a pot of gold".
"It's a unique, once-in-a-lifetime purchase - I loved it when I bought it," Mr Poliwka said.
"It's been an absolute pleasure, with lots of memories and lots of fun times."
He now hopes to let the next person have "that same privilege" and experience the magnificent feel of history that flows through the building.
While it is not currently run to its full potential, there is an opportunity to transform the hotel to its former glory or increase the amount of income from the building.
Centrally located on York Street, there is plenty of room for expansion and more accommodation.
There is also a large area that could be used as an alfresco or set up for important functions.
A separate block detached from the hotel at the back could be used for parking or developed for further accommodation.
Mr Poliwka hopes that someone such as an entrepreneur or a well-funded farmer with a love of history takes a liking to the hotel and helps keep this piece of WA history alive.
