The Ironclad Hotel is an

Australian pub An Australian pub or hotel is a public house or pub for short, in Australia, and is an establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. They may also provide other services, such as entertainment, meals and ...

Marble Bar Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite. Marble is typically not foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the term ''marble'' refers to metamorphosed ...

in the

Pilbara The Pilbara () is a large, dry, thinly populated region in the north of Western Australia. It is known for its Aboriginal peoples; its ancient landscapes; the red earth; and its vast mineral deposits, in particular iron ore. It is also a g ...

region of

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...

. Built in the 1890s, it became notorious as the only pub in what was considered the hottest town in Australia, having a weather record that was unchallenged in the 1940s to the 1960s, and only surpassed in new mining towns developed after that time. By the 1900s it was able to utilise a power source. The hotel was constructed of corrugated Iron. It was allegedly given the name by American miners who were reminded of the Ironclad ships from the United States. Also during the second world war American servicemen were located in or near Marble Bar due to the

Corunna Downs Airfield Corunna Downs Airfield was a secret Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) base at Corunna Downs, south of Marble Bar, Western Australia, Marble Bar in the Pilbara region of Western Australia during World War II. In 1942 the RAAF built a secret airb ...

. Ownership and management changed regularly over time. In 1901 the owners were Cooper and Blanton. In the 1930s the owners of the hotel raised accommodation rates that gained publicity for a 'beer strike' by those affected. At different stages of its history, the hotel attracted questions as to its conditions, with licensing boards having hearings where conditions were noted that required improvements. In 1949 the residential section was burnt down. When the hotel was up for sale in the 1970s, a calculation was made that the bar sales included: - :1350 litres (15x 18 gallon kegs) and 140 bottles and stubbies were sold per week in a population of 500 people. In the 2000s a short supply of beer caught media attention. In 2006, the Ironclad hotel was listed on the Western Australian register of heritage places. In 2011 a conservation plan was produced.

References

{{reflist, 30em Marble Bar, Western Australia Hotels in Western Australia State Register of Heritage Places in the Shire of East Pilbara