Waterside Hotel, 508-510 Flinders Street, Melbourne
Butler, Graeme1985
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Title:
Waterside Hotel, 508-510 Flinders Street, Melbourne
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Date of work:
1985
Reference number:
BIF-CITY 103993 1
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Item from Collection: Heritage Collection (HC)
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Graphic materialsTextual material
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Series: Central City (BIF-CITY)
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UnrestrictedOpen access.
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RESEARCH ADDED BY GRAEME BUTLER 2021:DATE: 1926;ASSOCIATIONS: Visbord, H A;DESIGNER: Johnson, Harry R;.GRAEME BUTLER 1985 MELBOURNE CENTRAL ACTIVITIES DISTRICT CONSERVATION STUDYStatement of SignificanceHistoryNoted as the Mercantile Hotel on Thomas Bibbs' early plan of Melbourne (c1855), the site held the London and Carnarvon Hotel early this century and premises bearing its present name around World War One. Subsequently the architect Harry R Johnson (son of the town hall specialist) designed a new three level brick hotel for the site, with structural engineering advice by the ubiquitous Clive S Steele. Downstairs there were three bars (private, saloon and lounge) and a private dining room at the north end of the building. Upper levels held relatively quiet (prior to Kings Bridgeand the overpass) accommodation for railway travellers visiting the metropolis and of course drinking space for denizens of the waterfront (Victoria Dock, 1893-); the Yarra being navigable by larger ships since completion of Coode's Canalin 1887. The area had served as a port since Melbourne's beginnings and a dense assortment of provedores, stevedores and shipwrights surrounded the hotel, up lane, fronting Flinders Streetand the Yarra Riveritself. One year after the hotel was built, , Johnson designed shops, factory space and offices to adjoin to Flinders Street, as the Waterside Buildings. (512-14).Mrs M McCoppin was the licensee around the 1930s, succeeded by Mrs P D Farrow in the 1940's. True to its name, the hotel's current opening hours (6.00 a.m. - 6.00 p.m.) reflect its original purpose.DescriptionEach building face is divided into bays by the placement by the placement of implied primary and secondary pavilions at corners and central to the Spencer Street elevation. The primary pavilion provides the octagonal tower base for a cemented concrete cupola at the corner while secondary pavilions take on a more two-dimensional appearance, with tower-like motifs trimmed with quoining, rising above the main parapet. Diamond pane windows (upper sash only) were utilized at first and second levels, while a surprising number of half-glazed doors (pairs or single) were distributed around the ground level. Segment arches make the residential and one public bar entrance, while the tower directs traffic to the main bar entrance, at the corner splay.The building form and detail is typical of contemporary hotel designs (usually by Architects, Sydney, Smith & Ogg), following a Beaux Art influenced carry over from Edwardian Classicism, (compare with Yorkshire Stingo, Abbotsford), tempered by the emerging neo-Grec influence towards an overall austerity and less reliance on ornament, (compare with Edwardian Baroque of the Markillie's Hotel).External IntegrityGenerally externally original.StreetscapeCommencement of a short two and three commercial streetscape, sharing a classical revival and the same architect (512-14 Flinders Street) also, given the tower and cupola, it is a successful corner element.SignificanceA near intact corner towered hotel which, above all others, promotes a seafaring image and hence, in turn, the former dominance of waterside trade in this part of the city. The design is typical of, and more austere than, other contemporary corner hotels, but this building possesses a relatively higher integrity..GRAEME BUTLER & ASSOCIATES 2011, CENTRAL CITY (HODDLE GRID) HERITAGE REVIEWStatement of SignificanceWhat is significant?Noted as the Mercantile Hotel on Thomas Bibb's early plan of Melbourne (c1855), the site held the London and Carnarvon Hotel early this century and, later, premises bearing its present name around World War One. The increasingly poor condition of this latter hotel in the 1920s led to the construction of the present building.Architect Harry Raymond Johnson (son of the town hall design specialist, George R Johnson) designed a new three level brick hotel for the site, with structural engineering advice by Clive S Steele. Harry Raymond Johnson was born 1892, trained as an architect and designed many flats and other buildings in St. Kilda. He was mayor of St. Kilda in 1932-3.Downstairs there were three bars (private, saloon and lounge) and a private dining room at the north end of the building. There was plentiful drinking space for denizens of the nearby waterfront. Upper levels held accommodation, potentially for railway travellers visiting the metropolis.The area had served as a port since Melbourne's beginnings and a dense assortment of provedores, stevedores and shipwrights surrounded the hotel, up lanes, fronting Flinders Street and on the Yarra River itself. One year after the hotel was built, Johnson designed shops, factory space and offices to adjoin to Flinders Street, as the Waterside Buildings (512 - 514).Mrs M McCoppin was the licensee around the 1930s, succeeded by Mrs P D Farrow in the 1940s. True to its name, the hotel's opening hours (6.00am - 6.00pm) reflected its original purpose to serve waterside workers.The hotel adopts a simple design with an octagonal tower at the corner of Flinders and King Street providing much of the visual interest. The tower is constructed in cement rendered concrete and rises through the full height of the building to terminate in a cupola. The tower base is reiterated along each street façade in the form of implied primary and secondary pavilions at corners and central to the Spencer Street elevation, with applied quoining and raised parapets. Diamond pane windows (upper sash only) were utilised at first and second levels, while half - glazed doors (pairs or single) were distributed around the ground level. Segment arches mark the residential entry and one of the public bar entrances, while the corner tower directs traffic to the main bar entrance, at the corner splay.The building's towered form and details are typical of contemporary hotel designs, most notably the work of the Carlton and United brewery architects, Sydney Smith & Ogg. The hotel demonstrates the emerging tendency towards a greater austerity, found in hotels such as the Yorkshire Stingo and Retreat Hotels in Abbotsford, and relies considerably less upon ornament than the nearby Markillie's Hotel completed less than a decade earlier in a vigorous Edwardian Baroque Manner.The building relates to the adjacent similarly scaled Edwardian and Victorian-era commercial buildings west along Flinders street and the significant Edwardian Baroque and historically linked Melbourne Steamship Company building, north along King Street, as well as the line of warehouses and stores on the east side of King Street which also evoke the former proximity to Melbourne's port . The hotel is externally well-preserved.How is it significant?The Waterside Hotel is significant historically and aesthetically to the Melbourne Capital City ZoneWhy is it significant?Waterside Hotel is significant aesthetically as a well-preserved inter-war, corner-towered hotel which follows an established aesthetic for corner hotels designed in this period. More importantly the hotel promotes a seafaring image and hence evokes the former dominance of waterside trade in this part of the City although today it is physically remote from shipping wharves. The hotel is part of a historically significant group of offices and stores related to early maritime trade in the Victoria..RAWORTH, B 2002. REVIEW OF HERITAGE OVERLAY LISTINGS IN THE CBDfor the City of MelbourneHistory and DescriptionThe western corner of Flinders and King Streets has been the site of two hotels trading under a variety of names. The Mercantile Hotel is noted in this location on Thomas Bibbs' early plan of Melbourne. Early this century, the premises became the London and Carnarvon Hotel before adopting its present name, Waterside Hotel, around 1915. In 1925, architect Harry R Johnson (son of the Town Hall specialist GR Johnson) designed a new three level hotel for the site with structural engineering from the ubiquitous Clive Steel. It is unclear as to whether any part of the early fabric was incorporated into the new design.As constructed, the hotel contained three downstairs bars and a private dining room at the northern end of the building. Upper levels were largely devoted to accommodation for travellers entering the City by sea although the hotel also catered for the dense assortment of provedores stevedores and shipwrights who were engaged at the docks along the Yara. One year after the opening of the hotel, Johnson was commissioned to design a group of shops, factory spaces and offices on an adjoining section of Flinders Street to be known as the Waterside Buildings. These have survived in poor condition.The hotel adopts a simple design with an octagonal tower at the corner of Flinders and King Street providing much of the visual interest. The tower is constructed in cement rendered concrete and rises through the full height of the building to terminate in a cupola. The tower motif is reiterated along each facade in the form of two dimensional tower-like motifs trimmed with quoining and rising above the main parapet. Diamond pane windows (upper pane only) were utilised at first and second floor levels and appear generally to have survived intact. The name, Waterside Hotel, is displayed in raised render in the upper sections of the Queen Street facade.The building form and detail is typical of contemporary hotel design, most notably the work of Melbourne architects, Sydney Smith & Ogg. it demonstrates the emerging tendency towards overall austerity found in hotels such as the Yorkshire Stingo and Retreat Hotels in Abbotsford and relies considerably less upon ornament than the nearby Markillie's Hotel completed less than a decade earlier in an Edwardian Baroque Manner.The building has been painted in an inappropriate manner but is otherwise reasonably intact to its original state. Despite some brick cracking, the building appears to be in good condition.Statement of SignificanceThe Waterside Hotel is of aesthetic significance at a local level as a good and substantially intact example of an interwar hotel within Melbourne's CBD...GRAEME BUTLER 1985 MELBOURNE CENTRAL ACTIVITIES DISTRICT CONSERVATION STUDYBUILDING IDENTIFICATION FORM cites Lawrie Wilson & Associates, 1977. Historic Buildings Preservation Council Report on CBD Block No 6 Dec 1977 (84): 126..Melbourne Roll Plan 12 (Bibb's) 1856earlier building shown as the Mercantile Hotel.CITY OF MELBOURNE BUILDING PERMIT APPLICATIONS :1925, 7526.STATE LIBRARY OF VICTORIACole collection: List of Licensees1915 OASTLER, A. Y1916 ROBINS, WILLIAM HENRY1918:BONES, FRDK. EDMUNDBENJAMIN, HY. G1919 ROBINSON, MARGARET, Mrs1919 DENNIS, MARGARET Miss1923 BUKES, DASSIG. W1921 DORGAN, SARAH1922 O'KANE, F. H1925 VISBORD, VICTOR1926: BENHAM, ETHEL. M)1928 McCOPPIN, MENO.LEWIS, M- AUSTRALIAN ARCHITECTURE INDEX:G.R. Johnson had son who became architect (H.M.G. Johnson) whose son Harry Raymond Johnson, (b. 1892) became architect and designed many flats and other buildings in St. Kilda. Mayor of St. Kilda, 1932-3.Telephone conversation with Milton Johnson, 1 July 1982, Terry Sawyer.NEWSPAPERS (TROVE)`The Argus' 28/1/1925:`Buildings Inadequate.Frank Henry O'Kane applied for the transfer of the license of the Waterside Hotel, Flinders street, from DaisyM Butler. The applicant, for whom Mr Bernard Nolan appeared gave evidence concerning his association with other hotels He said that his wife was at present the licensee of another hotel.Licensing Inspector Mahony said that the hotel was in a most unsatisfactory condition He was surprised that a hotel in such a state could be found in Melbourne 'The building was most dilapidated and not a single room was fit for occupation 'the kitchen and dining room were both inadequate He proposed to serve an order on the owner of the premises calling on him to make extensive alterations, in order that reasonable accommodation might be provided for the publicThe Court intimated that it had closed an important competitor to the Waterside Hotel and that it was not satisfied with the existing building or with the promise winch had been made, that a new building would be constructed estimated to cost between £5 000 and £7.000The application for the transfer of the license «as adjourned for a weekMr Clarkson, appearing for the owner (Mr H A Visbord) asked that the matter might be reconsidered He said that there was a strike on the waterfront, and that the licensee had that morning sold her furniture which would be re moved from the hotel that evening. Mr Visbord appealed to the Court to help him. He had he said promised to have the plans of a new building prepared In next SeptemberThe Chairman said that the Court was not altogether satisfied with the applicant dor the transfer of the licenseMr Visbord-What can I do? If the hotel to be closed'The Chairman-If there is a strike on and if the hotel is in the state that the licensing inspector has reported, it would not hurt to close it for a few daysMr Visbord -I have provided in the new lease to spend £200 immediately on the building I have already spent £200 on the buildingThe application for the transfer of the license was eventually refused'The Argus 3/7/1926:tenders for leasing the hotel now being completed.The above fine up-to-date three-storied premises with every modern convenience, hot and cold water in every bedroom: IN ONE OF THE BEST POSITIONS IN : MELBOURNE. CLOSE TO WHARVES mid RAILWAY STATIONS' apply licensee.DIRECTORIES OF VICTORIA, MELBOURNE-SANDS AND KENNY, SANDS & MCDOUGALL1930 Waterside Hotel, Mrs M McCoppin1939, 1944-5 Waterside Hotel Farrow, FD1950 Waterside Hotel Christiansen, WA.
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| Type | Reference No. | Extent | Status/Desc |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original | 103993 1 | 1 JPEG : 240 KB ; A4 | Single Item (May not be issued, may not be reproduced) |