Pinctada McAlpine House

Our History

The History of McAlpine House

The original buildings of “McAlpine House” were constructed in about 1910 for Pearling Master Talboys, during the heyday of the pearl shelling industry in the Broome region.

Made in the traditional and unique architectural style of Broome, from corrugated iron and timber with spacious, latticed verandahs, the house has an ambience of tranquillity and comfort.

In 1945, the property was purchased by another Master Pearler, T.H. (“Bert”) Kennedy, also known locally as “H.K. Unsinkable”, for his perseverance in the pearling industry during the lean years of the great depression and the post war era. It is believe that the residence was occupied in the post war years by Bert’s daughter Nellie, with her husband, Peter Haynes. Notably, the Haynes family managed the Sun Pictures in Chinatown from the early 1950’s for several decades.

In 1982, Lord Alistair McAlpine of West Green purchased the house from the Kennedy family. Preserving the original structures, he carried out extensions in keeping with the architectural style of the original house and installed the swimming pool. He also planted an extensive tropical garden with aviaries which housed exotic birds, including his prized Eclectus Parrots, which still reside at McAlpine House today.

The house was to be Lord McAlpine’s residence in Broome for more than a decade.

McAlpine became notorious in Broome for his preservation of a number of Master Pearler’s residences in the “Old Broome” area and the development of the Cable Beach Club resort and Pearl Coast Zoological Gardens in the Cable Beach area in the late 1980’s.

In the mid 1990’s, the McAlpine’s house was sold to Colin and Cheryl Wilkinson, who tastefully rejuvenated the house and transformed it into an exclusive guest house, retaining the “McAlpine” name for the property.

In the late 1990’s, the house once again became a pearler’s home, being purchased by Marilynne Paspaley, a member of the successful Paspaley family who have been master pearlers in Broome, the Kimberley and the Northern Territory since the 1930’s.

Ms. Paspaley has retained the home’s magical charm and has added additional suites, services, and entertaining areas to align with contemporary expectations of a luxury boutique Hotel. Marilynne Paspaley has nurtured its evolution into an exclusive boutique hotel, catering to special guests from around the world.

As in the early days of last century, McAlpine House is once again home to travellers from the four corners of the globe, attracted by the allure of the pearl coast.

Terms & Conditions

♦ CHECK OUT TIME IS 11:00AM. ALL ROOMS ARE NON-SMOKING.

I agree the liability for this bill and any other costs incurred by me is not waived and agree to be held personally liable in the event that the indicated person, company or association fails to pay for any part, or the full amount, of these charges. The property does not accept any liability for loss or damage to guest property including motor vehicles, valuables and other belongings. 
Guest Signature: ______________________________

Thank you for choosing to stay at Pinctada McAlpine House. We wish you a happy and enjoyable journey and look forward to welcoming you on your arrival. We remind you that we do not have a 24 hour reception. Our reception desk closes at 16:00 and we ask that you contact the hotel directly before your arrival so that arrangements can be made to ensure your access to the hotel after hours. 

Please initial here ____________ if you do not wish Pinctada Hotels & Resorts and its affiliated companies to use your information for marketing purposes. Full details of our privacy policy are available on request.

Payment Policy

A deposit of one night's accommodation is required to secure all bookings not guaranteed by credit card. Please note, all credit card transactions are subject to a surcharge. Unfortunately we are unable to process cheques.

Payment options: American Express, Debit Cards, Mastercard, Visa, Cash.

The terms and conditions as displayed in foreign languages are for information only. The terms and conditions as detailed in English on this website will take precedent in all matters including interpretation and meaning.

Cancellation Policy

At Pinctada McAlpine House we have a 72 hour cancellation policy. Cancellations received within this period along with "no show" bookings will be charged in full for the reservation. We recommend travel insurance cover. Advance Purchase reservations include a pre-paid discount and are non-refundable. 

We would be most grateful if you would advise us of your arrival time when this information becomes available to you. Check-in is at 3pm. Should you arrive before 3pm we would be happy to accommodate an early arrival, however please note that this is subject to availability.

As we do not operate a 24 hour reception, please let us know if you are arriving after 4pm to ensure we can arrange your access to the hotel after-hours.

Airport transfers by taxi from and to Broome International Airport can be arranged. Price is approx $10 per booking party one way. Client to pay the taxi.