Noooooo....My favourite pub from the last 25 years

Fire engulfs historic Walcha Road Hotel
Matt Adams
Wednesday, 10 November 2004

REGULAR drinkers at the historic Walcha Road Hotel were yesterday devastated to find their local watering hole was all but destroyed when fire ripped through part of the 144-year-old

building.

As Rural Fire Service (RFS) volunteers continued to douse the smouldering ruins locals couldn't believe that the twisted metal, charred fittings and furniture and blackened bricks were all that remained of the popular pub.

One-third of the historic pub was destroyed when fire broke out in the kitchen area shortly after 1am, with the rest of the building suffering extensive smoke and water

damage.

A plastic water tank behind the pub melted from the intense heat of the fire along with kitchen utensils, memorabilia and irreplaceable photos.

Kevin Noon, who was a regular at the pub, said it was heart wrenching to see the historic building destroyed by fire.

"It's somewhere everyone enjoys going to have a drink or something to eat," Kevin said.

"From the locals to the out of towners everyone loved it. It had character and so much history."

Nine RFS appliances, one NSW Fire Brigade appliance and two bulk water carriers battled for two hours to extinguish the fire and stop it from taking hold of the rest of the building.

Armidale Dumaresq RFS inspector Trevor Lyons said the fire was believed to have started in the kitchen area of the building before quickly taking hold of rooms below.

"We were lucky because the structure of the building prevented the fire from spreading to the rest of the pub," inspector Lyons said.

"The fire was contained to a kitchen area and rooms underneath at the northern end of the pub with the bar and dining area at the southern end suffering severe water and smoke damage. Brick walls near the chimneys were built right to the ceiling and prevented the fire from spreading to the rest of the building."

He said a RFS crew from Woolbrook was at the hotel within minutes to tackle the blaze followed by crews from a number of locations in the New England and north-west area.

John McLaren owns a property nearby and said a lot of people travelled to the area just to have a drink at the pub.

"It's a lovely place for a beer and a catch up," John said.

"Who knows where we'll go now for a beer."

It is believed a number of functions had been booked over the Christmas period, including a New Year's Eve party of 200 from Sydney.

Damage to the historic building is expected to exceed $300,000 with its owners having the hotel for less than 14 months.

Crime Scene officers from Armidale and fire investigators are expected to sift through the remains of the charred building in the coming days to determine the exact cause of the fire. The fire is not believed to be suspicious.