A Grand Country Hotel in the Heart of the Wheatbelt

Tucked away in the heart of Western Australia's northern Wheatbelt, Koorda Hotel is a classic country hotel with a history that reaches back to the early days of the town.

Located on Railway Street in the centre of Koorda, the hotel offers travellers a place to stop, enjoy some country hospitality, grab a meal and settle in for the night. It also provides accommodation, making it a handy base for riders exploring the surrounding Wheatbelt.

Koorda itself is a genuine farming community, surrounded by broad agricultural country producing wheat, lupins, canola, barley, oats, triticale, wool and livestock.

For riders looking to get away from the major highways and discover some of regional Western Australia's quieter roads, Koorda makes a great addition to the itinerary.

A Hotel Built With Ambition

The story of the Koorda Hotel is closely connected with the development of the town.

Koorda grew around a railway workers' camp after the railway from Wyalkatchem was gazetted in 1917. The railway helped open up the district to agriculture and provided a vital link for the growing wheat-producing community.

In 1925, builder James William Price arrived in Koorda to begin construction of the town's new hotel.

The hotel was commissioned by James McCallum-Smith, proprietor of Perth's Sunday Times and a major landowner in the district. He wanted the new hotel to be a substantial and well-designed building — an impressive ambition for a small Wheatbelt settlement.

The finished hotel cost more than £10,000, an enormous sum at the time.

The first licensee was G. Mewburn, and the hotel officially opened on 18 October 1925.

The opening was quite an occasion. Special trains brought well-wishers from surrounding towns, and the celebrations included free beer as the new hotel opened its doors.

Nearly a century later, the Koorda Hotel remains an important part of the town's story.

Koorda & The Wheatbelt

Koorda's history is a story of determination.

Early settlers faced isolation, drought, difficult conditions and the enormous task of clearing and farming the land. The railway changed the fortunes of the district, allowing wheat and other agricultural products to be transported more efficiently.

The community that developed around the railway included a general store, post office, blacksmith, butcher, baker and other businesses needed to support the growing population.

Today, agriculture remains at the heart of the district, while Koorda has embraced its heritage and developed into a welcoming destination for visitors travelling the Wheatbelt Way.

Things to See & Do

🏍️ Ride the Wheatbelt Way

Koorda is one of the stops along the Wheatbelt Way, a self-drive trail through some of the Northern Wheatbelt's historic towns and landscapes.

For motorcycle riders, it offers the chance to get away from the major roads and experience the quieter side of Western Australia — wide-open farming country, old settlements, granite outcrops and plenty of interesting places to stop along the way.

🪨 Mollerin Rock

Head north of Koorda to Mollerin Rock, one of the region's granite outcrops.

These granite formations are characteristic of the Wheatbelt landscape and provide an excellent opportunity to stretch the legs, explore the bush and take in the surrounding countryside.

🪨 Newcarlbeon Rock & Badgerin Rock

The surrounding district is dotted with other granite outcrops, including Newcarlbeon Rock and Badgerin Rock.

These natural features provide a great contrast to the broad agricultural landscape and are well worth considering when planning a ride through the area.

🏛️ Koorda Museum

The Koorda Museum is housed in a former hospital building and contains a fascinating collection of local history.

Inside you'll find displays covering the area's hospital, farming, domestic and policing history, including old hospital equipment, farm machinery and a preserved police lock-up.

It's a great stop for anyone wanting to understand the people and communities that built this part of the Wheatbelt.

🚗 Koorda Motor & Military Museum

Motorcycle and history enthusiasts should also look out for the Koorda Motor & Military Museum, which houses collections of vintage and muscle cars alongside military memorabilia.

It's another interesting piece of Koorda's local character and well worth checking out when the museum is open.

🌼 Wildflower Country

Between approximately July and October, the Wheatbelt can put on an impressive display of wildflowers following the winter rains.

The countryside around Koorda becomes a completely different landscape, with native flowers adding colour to the roadsides and bushland.

For riders, spring can be an especially rewarding time to explore the region.

Did You Know?

When the Koorda Hotel opened in 1925, special trains brought people from surrounding towns to attend the grand opening.

For a small Wheatbelt town, the opening of such a substantial hotel was a major event — and it gives you a pretty good idea of how important the hotel was to the developing community.

📖 Add Koorda Hotel to Your Great Aussie Pub Feed Passport

When you're exploring Western Australia's Wheatbelt, make sure Koorda Hotel is on your route.

Pull into town, enjoy a meal, meet the locals, explore the history and take some time to discover the roads and landscapes surrounding Koorda.

And, of course, don't forget to get your Great Aussie Pub Feed Passport stamped!

The Great Aussie Pub Feed is all about discovering the country pubs, communities and roads that make travelling around Australia so memorable.

Every pub has a story. Every ride creates a memory.

🏍️ Ride • Eat • Explore • Support