The Parkerville Tavern started life as the Railway Hotel, was rebuilt in 1927 and is now heritage-listed. Here's what to know, plus how to make a day of it in the Perth Hills.
Some pubs are worth the drive on their own, and the Parkerville Tavern is one of them. It’s a two-storey heritage pub tucked into the Perth Hills, it started life as the Railway Hotel, and it’s the perfect excuse for a Sunday ride or drive up the hill. Here’s what you need to know before you go.
Quick facts
- Where: 6 Owen Road, Parkerville, in the Shire of Mundaring
- What: a heritage-listed family pub and restaurant
- History: originally the Railway Hotel, rebuilt in 1927 as a two-storey federation-style hotel
- Heritage: on the State Register since 2016
- Nearby: the Railway Reserves Heritage Trail and John Forrest National Park
The old Railway Hotel
According to the pub’s own history page, the story starts in 1896, when Joseph Ottey bought the land and built a timber and iron house on it. The pub was originally called the Railway Hotel, and in 1927 it was rebuilt as the two-storey federation-style hotel you see today, at a cost of ยฃ7,000. Back then it had 16 bedrooms, dining, commercial and smoking rooms, public and saloon bars, verandahs, balconies and six lock-up garages.
Over the years it’s been a hotel, a boarding house, a bottle shop and a tavern, and it was added to WA’s State Heritage Register in 2016. Not bad for a country pub.
What it’s like now
The Shire of Mundaring sums it up as “a lovely old family pub and restaurant in the heart of the Perth Hills”, and that’s about right. It sits on a 3.9 from more than 250 Tripadvisor reviews. Recent reviewers talk up the friendly staff and the daily specials.
“Wonderful staff, very polite, cheerful and helpful.”
Deborah H, June 2026, Tripadvisor review
“Hats off to management and staff for a great, friendly experience.”
Martin, August 2025, Tripadvisor review
To be fair, it’s not all five stars. One September 2025 reviewer waited over an hour for food on a busy day, when the outdoor area was packed with families. So if you’re going on a sunny weekend, get there early or settle in and don’t be in a rush. Honestly, with a cold beer in hand that’s no hardship.
Make a day of it in the hills
The pub sits right by the old railway line that’s now the Railway Reserves Heritage Trail, so it’s an easy add-on to my Railway Reserves Heritage Trail walk. John Forrest National Park is close by too, with the Swan View Tunnel walk, and you can loop through to a Sunday drive to Mundaring Weir.
As a rider, the hills are where I’d rather spend a Sunday anyway. If you’re after more of that, try the Kalamunda Zig Zag scenic drive, the Bickley Valley orchards and cider lunch, or the Lesmurdie Falls walk. And if you’re coming up through Midland, the Midland Railway Workshops keeps the railway theme going.
Featured image: Parkerville Tavern by Wikirowdy, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons, cropped.
Frequently Asked Questions
It’s at 6 Owen Road, Parkerville, in the Shire of Mundaring in the Perth Hills.
