People/alvarenga.html
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Jane and Henry Alvarenga
The Alvarengas came from England. They conducted two coffee palaces in Fremantle in the 1880s: one in Pakenham Street next to Mason's building on the NE corner with High Street, and the other in the former Lodge's Castle Hotel in Henry Street (also the home of the first Fremantle Club, and the first premises of the Workers Club).
They were in Pakenham Street in the first half of 1884, and then moved to the Castle building from 1 June, where ratebooks show H.R. Alvarenga as tenant in 1884 and 1885 (crossed out). The owner was William Marmion. From 1886 he rented the building to Robert Sholl.
Henry became ill in 1885, was declared bankrupt, and then died, all in that year. Jane at first planned to carry on with the boardinghouse in the Castle, but then decided to return to Mason's property, next to his jeweller's shop on Lot 409 on the corner of Pakenham Street. (Note that the present building was not built until 1908.)
She was still running the boardinghouse in 1888, when she gave evidence on 11 April in the enquiry into the death by poisoning of one James McCormick/McCormack on her premises the day before. Inquirer and Commercial News, Wed 11 Apr 1888, p. 3.
References and Links
Ratebook entries 1884-5 for the Castle Hotel building. Owner WE Marmion; tenant:
1884 HR Alvarenga (cook) dwelling house and warehouse lots 56 1/3 and 57
1885 HR Alvarenga [crossed out] (eating house, private hotel) coffee palace and outbuildings
The Inquirer and Commercial News, Wednesday 30 April 1884: 5:
The Coffee Palace continues to have a liberal support, and deservingly so, for the manner in which the viands are prepared is a credit to the proprietor. It has become quite a custom for visitors to call at "The Palace" to take tiffin, while many other folks call regularly for "supper," which can always be had, and well served up too, Mr, Alvarenga, I believe, is now in treaty for a large building in Henry-street, where, if successful in obtaining it, he will, I am confident, do a still more extensive business. I refer to the old "Castle Hotel," at present occupied by Mr. Webster, and it is situated immediately opposite the Railway Station.
Inquirer and Commercial News, Wed 21 May 1884: 3:
The Inquirer and Commercial News, Wed 21 May 1884, page 3:
ALVARENGA'S COFFEE PALACE,
Packenham Street, Fremantle
(next door to F. Mason's new Jeweller's shop, at 'The Corner.')
Will remove to more commodious premises in Henry-street, on the 1st of June next.
H. R. ALVARENGA informs the inhabitants of Fremantle and the public that he has opened a Fashionable Refreshment Room in the premises adjoining Mr F. Mason's Jeweller's Shop, and that he will study the requirements of customers, no matter how small the order, by giving them his best attention. The premises have been fitted up to suit the business, and there is convenience for supplying refreshments to families and travellers ensuring privacy and accommodation. There will be ready at all hours tea, coffee, cordials, pastry, cooked meat of every description, and English ham. The dinners will be prepared every day at a very moderate cost, to meet the requirements of persons engaged in their occupations at a distance from their home. The charges will be extremely moderate, and will require a large support to make the venture remunerative. The proprietor confidently expects that this support will be accorded him and assures the public that no pains will be spared, on his part, to give satisfaction. Moreover, the proprietor would intimate that having had considerable experience in this line in large towns in England he is confident that his management will meet with approval.
During the summer months the excursionists to Fremantle by evening train will find this Saloon very convenient for the purpose of obtaining refreshment. There will also be prepared to order, to persons wishing to avoid the intonvenience of cooking in summer, Dinners, which will be delivered by the servants of this establishment to any address.
An efficient staff of waiters in attendance. H. R. ALVARENGA,
Proprietor.
Packenham-street, Fremantle.
The Inquirer and Commercial News, Wednesday 18 June 1884: 4:
Herald, 9 August 1884: 2:
Daily News, Friday 13 March 1885: 3:
Daily News, Thursday 11 June 1885: 3:
Daily News, 2 July 1885:
This page incorporates material from Garry Gillard's Freotopia website, that he started in 2014 and the contents of which he donated to Wikimedia Australia in 2024. The content was originally created on 25 August, 2022 and hosted at freotopia.org/people/alvarenga.html (it was last updated on 15 January, 2024). The donated data is also preserved in the Internet Archive's collection.