The Old Drakesbrook B&B

QR Code Project written by Montanna Look

Please note the old Drakesbrook Bed & Breakfast is no longer operational, having closed down in recent years.

The History

In the 1930s the B & B was built by the Struck family of Nanga Brook. The residents called it Allendale after their daughter died of pneumonic flu after World War I. Allendale was became the guest house in Drakesbrook, housing people who worked in the town.

The B & B was first originally used for a school when the sisters for St Joseph’s came to Waroona. They used it to teach music to the children. The sisters of St Joseph’s only used it until the school had finished building. After that it was just used as a B & B.

Many of the guests included school teachers, Whittaker’s and the men who built the first bank in town. In 1943, owing to financial difficulties during war, the Strucks sold the guesthouse to the order of St Joseph for use as their convent. Allendale’s central room was used to teach music in the convent. In the 1980s, the Hopkins’ purchased the property and renovated the house and renamed it the Drakesbrook Guesthouse. In 1999, the Hopkins sold the guest house.

February 23rd 1999 :
The Drakesbrook Guesthouse was about to go through another change of hands. Everyone knew the B & B Guesthouse is on the SWH operated by Sandra and David Hopkins and the homestead once called Allendale. Originally from Scotland, the Hopkins had renovated and nurtured the Drakesbrook B & B into a delightful place for workers from Alcoa, environmental scientists, people working in the bush, visiting sports competitors and Perth people looking for a steal away from the city.

Lots of different people had stayed here. Like Neil Armstrong’s relatives, German, Irish, Scottish and many other people from different countries had stayed here. Sandra Hopkins said “that it has been really interesting from all of the people who had stayed here and their stories.”

When Sandra Hopkins (Helen and Mark McKay) did the renovations they had found a wall and it was not even to the other wall that did not match. So Helen and Mark have asked people what they think is inside the wall. And you never know you might be the person who guess correctly (Helen and Mark do not know what is in the wall !!!) Most people have guessed:

books

desk

money

music sheets

instruments

And much more mostly because it was a convent and that means it was a school room and what they used it for was a music room.

I hope you have learnt much more about the B & B than before. So thank you for reading some of the history of the old Drakesbrook B & B.