The demolition of the Dimboola Hotel building is complete, and the community that supported the hotel over its 73 years is reminiscing.

In 1930 the Dimboola Hotel cost around 34,000 pounds to build. By todays standard, with inflation and a change in currency, this equates to over $2.5 million. Probably the same cost to build a similar structure today.

Dimboolas "palatial hotel" was opened in May 1930 after Dimboola builder AM Hoepner was contracted to the job. It was built on the same site at the first hotel for the town, which opened in the 1860s. This was quickly followed by the opening of the Victoria Hotel in its original Church Street premises.

Dimboolas first school was opened in 1873.

In 1911 there were four hotels, with all licenses held by women. Mary OKane was at the Dimboola Hotel, established in the 1860s as a wine shanty and in 1882 as Paviers Hotel. Ellen Hynes was at the Victoria Hotel, which was built in 1864. Kate Wall was running the Camp Hotel in Lloyd Street, built in 1874. Elsie Taafe was in charge of the Commercial Hotel in Victoria Street, which was built in 1876.

When the Dimboola Hotel was opened on May 22, 1930, it was advertised as the best hotel outside Melbourne.

The Commercial Hotel was destroyed by fire in December 1930, the Camp Hotel was burnt to the ground in April 1931, and the Dimboola Hotel was gutted by fire in October 2003.

The hotels official opening saw a luncheon served to 50 invited guests, while members of the public were invited into the hotel during the afternoon. None of the several hundred people that toured the building had seen its equal, including one visitor from America that had toured both his and our countries extensively.

Four shops, two facing Lloyd Street and two facing Lochiel, were included in the building.

Dimboola Investments Pty Ltd hosted the opening luncheon, with Investor Mr P McIlrath acting as Chairman, and fellow investors A and R Bongiorno and P Strangio also in attendance. Mr McIlrath said that he had seen the work the Bongiornos had carried out in Nhill and was very impressed, and pleased they had "commenced to revolutionise Dimboola".

Mr McIlrath also said that the building was a credit and a great honour to Dimboola, and showed that the company had "built up an edifice that should be a monument as to their confidence in the town and district to the end of time".

The Bongiornos said that they wanted to invest in the community that had financially supported them, through projects in Nhill and Dimboola.

Councillors DS Anderson and Wiedermann both admired the pluck and initiative of the Bongiornos, and marvelled at the hotels modern facilities and grand structure.

The hotel remained largely unchanged for many years, until proprietors Graeme and Heather Bourke-Finn installed a new bar and TAB facility on the Lochiel Street side of the hotel around 1997.

The old bar was used for private functions and live bands in later years.

The fire is thought to have started in the vicinity of the office, destroying the old bar, staircase and most of the upstairs accommodation. The residence above the Dimboola Café, at the time owned by Harvey and Raelene McKinnon, was also destroyed. The remainder of the hotel and café was damaged by smoke and water.

Some items were removed from the building in good condition, including the Rotary Clubs items that were stored in a dining room on the east side of the hotel.

13 people escaped the blaze physically unharmed; two from the café and 11 from the hotel.

Paviers/Dimboola Hotel proprietors:
June 8, 1882 - William Henry Pavier built the Dimboola Hotel.
1890 - Charles Bradley and Samuel Day and James Dellar
1892 - Charles Bradley and John Ellis
1892 - Patrick OKane
1894 - Patrick OKane and James Coghlan
1895 - Patrick OKane and Alfred Warne
1902 - Patrick OKane and Coghlan and Tullochs Ballarat Brewing Company
1909 - Transfer to Mary OKane through probate
1912 - Mary OKane and Kate Wall
1915 - James McCooke Wall and Marion Wall
1920 - James McCooke Wall and Thomas James Wall (George Wall and Marion Wall were managers of the hotel)
1932 - William Frederick Strauss
1932 - Margaret Ethal Currie
1937 - Currie Investments Pty Ltd George Wallace Currie
1938 - Thomas Menzies
1940 - Thomas Henry Busst
1942 - Ivy Juanita Busst
1945 - Keith Arthur Donald Brodie
1947 - William Harding King
1948 - William Harding King and Alberta King
1952 - Isabelle Marlon Bell-Towers
1954 - Arthur Hendy Shoppee and Ralph and Kathlyn Kenny
1956 - Arthur Hendy Shoppee
1961 - Herbert William Stanley Beven
1967 - Glynder Cynon Morgan and Cynthia Clare Morgan
1969 - Keith Maxwell Wilson and Verona Madge Wilson
1972 - Aubrey Nelson OLoughlin and Adiena Louise Omelia OLoughlin
1975 - William Henry Gazelle and Ellen Maitland Gazelle
1977 - Gary John Price and Carol Anne Price
1980 - Frederick Vermay and Adrienne Fay Vermay
1981 - Francis George Draffen and Helen Elizabeth Draffen
1984 - Gloria Jeanette Ellis and Gordon William Ellis
1987 - Graeme Maxwell Bourke-Finn and Heather Thelma Bourke-Finn
2001 - Patrick Ryen

Information and image generously supplied by the Dimboola and District Historical Society.