The Victoria Coffee Palace, 11 Pakenham St (was no 43 pre 1938) is a two storey building with rendered ashlar effect to the façade and has zero setback from the pavement. A parapet has a decorative pediment stating '1895 Victoria Coffee Palace' in stucco.
6 Dec 1895; Second Cook wanted, £1 10s. per week. Victoria Coffee Palace, Packenham-steeet, Fremantle (reference)
1896 Robert Warren, a bedroom steward at the Victoria Coffee Palace, was charged with having stolen a purse containing £1 8s., the property of Edward Jones, a lodger at the palace…Evidence was given by Mary Daly and Carl von Heinrichs, who are employed at the boarding-house, dismissed (reference)
Dec 1896 A sensational event occured in the Port when Juma Khan, an ‘Afgan’ became violent and using an axe, attacked William Griffiths in High street. He had been taken, by the Police to the Vicoria Coffee House the night before- for accomodation …
Here the waiter in charge at first declined to take the man, but he ultimately agreed to give him a shake-down in an outhouse. Khan paid 2s. for his bed and breakfast, and was permitted to lie down in the sitting-room until a bed could be prepared for him…read the full story here (reference)
1900 In the Fremantle Police Court this morning, a little girl named Rose Riley, under 11 years of age, was charged with being a neglected child. Constable Bailey said he had seen the child with some boys in the streets. She was larking with them. He went to the Victoria Coffee Palace yesterday, and saw the child there. She said she had run away from home because her stepfather made indecent proposals to her last Tuesday… Mrs. Muir, proprietress of the Victoria Coffee Palace, said that the girl came to the restaurant at 11 p.m., and asked for a bed. She said her mother had given her 2s, 6d, for a bed. She slept at the house, and had breakfast. The next morning witness reported the matter to the police… the girl was sent to Industrial School until she was 16. (reference)
1906 Bubonic Plague -There has not been any report of further outbreak of bubonic plague in Fremantle or Perth, and the authorities are keeping an active watch against insanitary practices. Ernest Ferguson, one of the contacts from the Victoria Coffee Palace, who contracted the disease, took a bad turn last night, and his condition today was deemed to be very serious. (reference)
1906 At about 5 o'clock yesterday afternoon, Eva Cameron, the three-year-old daughter of the proprietor of the Victoria Coffee Palace, Packenham-street, Fremantle, met with a painful accident. She was playing on the balcony,' and must have climbed on to the railing, for she overbalanced and fell to the ground, a distance of about 17ft., The child sustained a badly broken arm and was severely bruised about the head and shoulders… (reference)
1907 The sister in law of Proprieter William Cameron of the Victoria Coffee Palace- Agnes Lee, died from septic peritonitis caused by a botched abortion. Her story was typical of women who found themselves pregnant… (reference) Read bio under Notable and Notorious section.
1910 A meeting for the purpos of forming an athletic club in Fremantle was held at the Victoria Coffee Palace last night. Between 50 and 60 gentlemen were present, Mr. W. W. Cameron presiding. (reference)
1911 Police arrested two sisters Rose and Julia Williams (described as ‘creole complexioned’) for soliciting outside the Victoria Coffee Palace:
Purifying the Port: At half an hour or so before midnight he saw the pair with a couple of men near the Victoria Coffee Palace, and later near the railway station. Asked what the discussion going on at the time had been about, one of the men said that the girls had been suggesting taking a room for-the night at an adjacent coffee palace.' Eoe, proceeding, said that, he had arrested the girls, who, on. the way to the gaol, had "bolted." They had, however, been recaptured… (reference)
1912 Mr W.W ‘Bill’ Cameron was also well known for arranging and referreeing boxing fights in the Port. (reference) and musical evenings (reference) There was some objections by residents to the ongoing precence of a ‘boxing stadium’ at 81 Market Street (was 85 after 1938) run by Cameron in 1911-1912. (reference) One of his famous fights held there was between Dwyer and Paddy King or ‘Black Paddy’ in August 1911. (reference)
1915 The Burlington Cafe, in Packenham-street, is reckoned a pretty snug port by both military and naval "boys," and during the time the Pioneer was in Fremantle, the proprietress, Mrs. Sinclair, was hard put to find accommodation for all the "boys in blue” who applied to her… (reference)
1919 Mr. Ralph Hunter, tram chauffeur, is "twenty-one today." Last night a host of his friends who believe in grabbing Time by the beer lock forgathered at the Burlington Private Hostel in Packenham street, where Ralph hangs out, and gave him an excessive-speed time. Mr. Jim Johnson, of Harbor Trust engineering fame, was same age a few days ago, and his friends coalesced with those of Ralph, and made last night's celebrations a double event. Toasts, speeches, songs, recitations, and Instrumental items followed each other like nags chasing the Melbourne mug. During the evening Mr Hunter, who before he took on tram-steering was skating instructor at the Olympia Skating Rink, gave an exhibition with chalked rollers on the balcony, performing the difficult feat writing the names, ages, and birthday dates of himself and Mr. Johnson on the boards. "Won' g'home morning," "Oul Lang Shine," "Jolly goo'f'lers," add "Shave the King" concluded a very happy evening. (reference)
1920 Workers! High Cost of Living Solved- By Patronising THE BUFFET, (Late Burlington Cafe) Packenham Street J. & E. M. DOMENECH, Proprietors (reference)
1921 An elderly man named Thomas Pophand appeared in the Fremantle Police Court this morning to answer a charge of having on February 12 at Fremantle been disorderly. Pophand, who had been having his tea at a restaurant called the Burlington Cafe -used insulting language towards the girl serving him, and, as a consequence, a complaint was lodged. Asked to give an explanation of his riotous behavior, Pophand, evidently a connoiseur of food, stated that he objected to there being bones in the gravy. He was not insulting towards the girl, and just told her mother what was wrong with the food. She (the mother) followed him out into the street, and, without any provocation, begun assaulting him. 'Woman would swear a man's life away,' said Pophand, 'and I am as innocent as a lamb.' (reference)
1932 Appearing for the Hotel, Caterers, Bar and Restaurant Employees' Union, Miss Shelley made a successful claim against Mary Neilson, proprietress of the Burlington Cafe, Pakenham-street, Fremantle. Defendant was charged by the union with having neglected to pay Bridget Flannigan, a waitress, at the prescribed rate. It was claimed that an amount of £9/17/4 was due in respect of wages. (reference)
1932 I Hereby Withdraw from Sale my Business, known as Burlington Cafe, situated Packenham-st., Fremantle, same having been sold by L. H. Pocklington and Co., 17 Mouatt-street, Fremantle. E. DANIELS. (reference)
The Hotel and Boarding house was bought c 1966 by Domenico and Maria Biondillo ( from Naples) They ran it as a restaurant - Mimmos- and boarding house until the 70s when it was leased to Spanish people who ran the restaurant as La Mancha.
2002 - 2015, Roo on the Roof Backpackers Inn Freo, Youth Hostels Australia.
Currently offices and still owned by Robert Biondillo
Occupants
Lot: 1829 - 1878 Lot 102: Scott, Daniel
1895 Victoria Coffee Palace/ Restaurant (see Ad)
1900 Mrs Muir (proprietess)
1902 Mr Jones (proprietor)
1903 Mr H A Triggs (proprietor)
1908 Dalton, James
1905 - 1912 Cameron, William W (manager)
1912 - 1914 Cameron, Mrs Elizabeth Lonsdale (licence given to)
1915 Sinclair Mrs. F.E.
1916 - 1918 Theakston, Mrs E
1919 Phillips, C J & K, Burlington Cafe
1920-1921 ‘The Buffet’ /’The Cafe’ (late Burlington Cafe) (J & E M Domenech)
1922 - 1939 Burlington Cafe
1922 - 1924: Leonard A Weeks, Proprieter (used to have the Astral Cafe at Sandstone prior)
1925 - 1928: Mrs K Barrett, proprietess
1929: Mrs S M Hellwage, proprietess & Thomas Hellweg, manager
1930 - 1932: Mrs E Daniel, proprietess
1932: Mary Nielson, proprietess
1939 - 1949 The Quay Cafe
1966 Mimmos Restaurant, owned by Domenico and Maria Biondillo
1970s La Mancha
currently owned by Robert Biondillo
