New Norcia Hotel, Neoclassical hotel in New Norcia, Australia.
The New Norcia Hotel is a two-story stone building designed in neoclassical style and originally contained fifteen guest rooms. A wide staircase connects the floors, with bedrooms arranged along corridors and dining facilities on the ground level.
The building opened in 1927 as lodging for travelers visiting this monastic town in Australia. It was the first hotel to be operated by a religious organization in the country.
The hostel opened in 1927 to house travellers and families of boarders at St Gertrude's and St Ildephonsus' colleges, easing hostels overwhelmed by Easter reunion crowds. In 1955 it became a hotel with fifteen rooms, a bar and a restaurant; the monks held Australia's first hotel licence granted to a religious organisation. It closed in January 2020.
The hotel closed permanently in January 2020, so it no longer offers meals, drinks or rooms; the Benedictine Community announced the decision as the building was "not part of [their] strategic plan". Visitors to New Norcia should arrange food and lodging in advance, as the hotel was the only place within 50 kilometres for meals and social contact. The building stands within the Benedictine Monastery Precinct and can be seen from the street.
The hostel had electricity by 1952, but the supply was switched off at 9 pm and guests were given candles. The monks who ran it were the first religious organisation in Australia to hold a hotel licence, granted when the hostel became the New Norcia Hotel in 1955.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 94,727 contributors worldwide.
