Albany 2026: Premier Hotel’s inside-job arson attack remains an unforgettable Albany event 10 years later

Ten years on from the fire that stunned Albany, the 2016 destruction of the historic Premier Hotel remains one of the most unforgettable events in the city’s 200 years.

Built in 1891 on the corner of York Street and Grey Street, the Premier Hotel had been a gathering place for residents, renowned for serving cold beers off the wood.

But in the early hours of May 13 2016, flames tore through the York Street landmark, leaving one of Albany’s oldest and most beloved buildings gutted, and forcing a community to watch helplessly as a piece of its heritage went up in smoke.

At first the fire appeared to be the result of a violent robbery gone wrong.

Emergency services were called to the hotel about 12.45am after two men allegedly assaulted licensee Graeme Cooper, stole cash, and set the building alight before fleeing.

Reports from the following day detailed how the attackers had confronted Mr Cooper before starting the blaze and causing extensive damage.

“Two men attacked Mr Cooper as he was putting out the bins at the end of the night,” read the Albany Advertiser article.

“The men stole cash, set the hotel on fire and then fled the scene, leaving behind extensive damage to one of Albany’s oldest remaining pubs.”

Just days later on May 17, the Albany Advertiser reported Mr Cooper and partner Rumeena Nizam had seen their “dreams shattered” only seven months after taking over management of the historic pub.

As investigations began to identify those responsible, police released CCTV footage and pursued numerous leads, including inquiries linked to suspicious Perth Mint transactions which were ultimately ruled as unrelated.

Throughout the winter of 2016, the investigation intensified, with police appeals launched, images of suspects released, and Mr Cooper himself making a plea for information from the community.

Then, a dramatic twist that few people saw coming.

In early September, Albany detectives travelled to Mandurah and Perth, arresting several men in connection with the fire.

Among those charged was Mr Cooper himself.

Police alleged the hotel licensee was the mastermind behind an elaborate plan to destroy the historic pub and fraudulently obtain an insurance payout worth about $3 million.

Investigations confirmed several accomplices helped Mr Cooper orchestrate the arson attack which caused more than $2m in damage to the heritage-listed building.

As the case unfolded, a total of five men were charged with offences including attempted fraud, criminal damage by fire, and endangering life.

In July 2017, four of the co-accused received prison sentences for their roles in the scheme and the following January, on the opening day of an eight-day Supreme Court trial, Mr Cooper pleaded guilty.

The Albany Advertiser reported this development on January 16, 2018.

“Former Premier Hotel licensee Graeme Cooper has admitted to arson and fraud charges over a 2016 fire which gutted the historic Albany pub,” the article read.

“Scott Jon Gay, Christopher Lyndon Paterson, Aaron Mark Hasson and Karl Hutchinson were all sentenced for their involvement in the arson attack in July which caused $1.5 million in damage to the 126-year-old building.”

On January 17 2018, Mr Cooper was sentenced to 10 years in prison and ordered to serve at least eight years before becoming eligible for parole.

While the criminal case concluded, co-owner Barry Panizza said the Premier Hotel’s future remained uncertain.

Plans to rebuild were announced in 2019 and after years of restoration and a $4m redevelopment, the historic venue finally re-opened on June 1, 2022 under the management of Danae Witherow and Andrew Rodgers.

Today, a decade after the fire, the rebuilt Premier Hotel stands proudly over York Street serving fresh pints and delivering customers a good pub feed.