Skimpies return to Kalgoorlie as topless bar dresscode fails to catch on

Skimpies: Kalgoorlie's barmaids have been a part of the Mining forum for 20 years. Photo / Getty Images

"The world has changed" said the Palace Hotel's owner Ashok Parekh as he unveiled a brave new business strategy.

Last month the hotel instated a "no skimpies" policy at their infamous bar in Western Australia.

Skimpies – scantily clad barmaids – have been a regular feature of the hotel's Gold Bar for years. Certainly been around since the town started holding its annual mining forum twenty years ago. However last month Parekh announced that the topless barmaids would not be appearing at the Kalgoorlie-Boulder Diggers&Dealers Miners forum.

Speaking to local newspaper the Kalgoorlie Miner, Parekh said: "We have taken a decision that here will be no skimpy barmaids at the Palace Hotel or the Gold bar during the Conference."

Kalgoorlie in Western Australia was not ready for the change. Photo / Getty Images

Last year the hotel missed out on hosting a key note speech from former European Commissioner Jose Manuel Barroso, after it was decided that the Australia Hotel across the road might make for a more suitable setting than the infamous topless bar.

"We recognise the world has changed," Parekh said at the time of the announcement.
Sadly the world may have changed, but Kalgoorlie had not quite caught up.

"We had a lot of complaints," a sheepish Parekh admitted.

One day later, the ban was lifted and Skimpies were brought back to the bar.

Although, the Palace did retain one step in the direction of progress; the hotel has reserved a "no Skimpies" area for the front of the bar.

"It's a bit of a compromise," Mr Parekh told The Miner. "In the end, no matter what people say, you've got to look at what the public wants."