PAROA HOTEL

On April 10th 1954, Hanmer and Bernadine (Corrie) Monk arrived at The Paroa Hotel from the Bealey Hotel with their first son Bernie, who was 3 months old. The Paroa Hotel was renowned on the West Coast for exceptional food and hospitality. The laws at the time meant that you had to be closed by 6pm Monday to Saturday, trading on Sunday was not allowed. Sometimes, these rules were bent to accommodate West Coasters’ thirst. A secret knock at the door allowed you to enter, and often the local police would call ahead to ensure the premises would be empty by the time they arrived.


This legendary hospitality was continued by Bernie and his brother Winston until 2012, when Bernie’s children, Alan and Olivia, carried over the tradition. You’ll often see the whole family – Bernie, Kath, Olivia and Alan – offering the genuine West Coast hospitality that Ham and Corrie offered 70 years ago.