By KATH GANNAWAY
THE Woori Yallock Hotel burnt to the ground in the early hours of Saturday morning.
As the smoke clears there are already indications that the owners, Doug and Melissa Fraser, are not going to let the town linger long without a local pub.
Devastated residents and employees were on the scene early on Saturday morning to find the hotel, an institution for more than 100 years, reduced to mangled tin, bricks and ash.
Hillcrest CFA captain Fiona Burns told the Mail the first call came in at 3.16am, phoned in by a passerby.
She said the fire was fully involved when the first units arrived.
Some 20 appliances were called in, including the specialist ladder unit from Dandenong and the Yellingbo CFA rehabilitation unit.
Between 60 and 80 fire-fighters battled to bring the blaze under control and to stop it damaging the old service station building next door, one of just a few original buildings now left in the town.
Ms Burns said on Saturday that CFA volunteers expected they would be on the job for the better part of today and tomorrow.
“At this time we’re providing the owner and his family with support,” she said.
Rick Shaw, president of Woori Yallock Township Action Group, said the hotel was a great loss to the town.
“You can’t have a town without a pub,” he said, reflecting the sentiment of many of the people who shared their commiserations on the Woori Yallock Hotel Facebook page.
“There’s been a pub on that site, as far as I am aware, for well over 100 years,” he said.
The hotel is known for the stunning views over the Yarra River valley to the mountains and was on what was originally the main highway.
“There are not many places around Woori where you can go and sit down with locals and friends, it’s just been the pub … an institution,” he said.
Former AFL footballer and Woori Yallock resident, Damian Monkhorst added his tribute to the pub, and to the owners, Doug and Melissa Fraser.
“It’s very sad. It’s had a huge impact on local sporting clubs including football and cricket in its history and it’s owned by people who have been involved in the football and cricket clubs.
“Unfortunately poor old Dougy had just renovated the whole thing and it’s really unfortunately to see this happen after so much work.”
Mr Monkhorst said it was a place where people could meet up and relax.
“For me, it’s been a place where I would go and get away from AFL football after a game and relax and be with my local mates.
“It’s a bit of an institution for the Woori Yallock people who have been born and bred here,” he said.
In a post to the community on their facebook page, Doug and Melissa Fraser and their staff thanked the community for their messages of support.
“We will be rebuilding and we are sure with all of the community support we will be up and running again in no time,” they said.
There was obvious relief in many of the messages that no-one had been injured … and that the resident cats had survived the blaze.
“Just letting everybody know that the pub cats have been found, a bit shaken up, but are doing OK,” the Frasers posted in response to inquiries.
As CFA members inspected various parts of the building on Saturday, Ms Burns said no cause had been identified. For more pictures, see page 3.
