Elm's Family Hotel, 267-271 Spring Street & 1-11 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne
Butler, Graeme1985
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Total copies: 1
Title:
Elm's Family Hotel, 267-271 Spring Street & 1-11 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne
Creator:
Date of work:
1985
Reference number:
BIF-CITY 108991
Level of description:
Item from Collection: Heritage Collection (HC)
Type of materials:
Graphic materialsTextual material
Part of:
Series: Central City (BIF-CITY)
Access restrictions:
UnrestrictedOpen access.
Use restrictions:
UnrestrictedPlease contact City of Melbourne Libraries about obtaining permission to reproduce images.
General notes:
RESEARCH ADDED BY GRAEME BUTLER 2023:__________________________________________________DATE: 1925;ASSOCIATIONS: Elms, Emma;DESIGNER: James, Harry J;BUILDER: Harford, W.B.Period: EdwardianNotable features 1984: 1. Use of decorative structural brickwork - multi-gabled elevation uncommon. 2. Old hotel site ie. Old Governor Bourke Hotel (1850s).GRAEME BUTLER & ASSOCIATES 2011, CENTRAL CITY (HODDLE GRID) HERITAGE REVIEWStatement of SignificanceWhat is significant?This two storey corner hotel was designed by the architect, Harry James, and built by W.B. Harford for Emma Elms in 1924-1925 in place of an earlier Elms Family Hotel and, before that, Heffernan's Old Governor Bourke Hotel. Emma Elms was the last of the family to occupy the building before its replacement in 1925. Licensees included Clifford Wort, Mrs Madge Stack, AC Whitehead and for a long period, Mrs Nancy Mellett. Cliff Wort was one of the first to advertise the new hotel's merits stating that it had `First-class accommodation for visitors.' and noting that he was the former proprietor of the Belfast Hotel, Launceston. The building is shown in an image from 1950 looking down the infamous Little Lonsdale Street with cast-iron street lamps still in place and the painted sing `Carlton Ale' on the hotel's corner parapet.This two storey pressed red brick and render hotel is designed after a stylised Old English or Neo-Tudor mode, with twin high cemented gabled parapet to each street façade, flanked by brick bartizans surmounted by cast cement balls on piers. Upper-level windows are configured as T-shaped pairs with a common lintel over a recessed pair of steel-framed casement windows, each with deeply corbelled brick sills. Cast cement victory wreaths have been applied to panels below each window pair and the parapet panels have diamond motifs while the splayed corner rendered panel bears the hotel name in bas-relief with scrolls top and bottom. Remnant leadlight glazing on the Little Lonsdale St façade includes coloured and clear lozenge and rectangle shapes arranged in an Arts & Crafts manner. Inside the hotel bar, glazed tiled dadoes possess the original character of the hotel.Beside the hotel in Spring Street is a separate parapeted red brick wing, with a stepped parapet line ornamented with a moulded cement capping and flanking brick pilasters at each end of the façade: this has new joinery in lower and upper-level openings. A similarly but more simply elevated one and two-storey garage and factory building from 1921 is adjoining on the west in Little Lonsdale Street. The adjoining former WH Blakeley saw manufactory and a line of former industrial buildings in little Lonsdale Street present a similar character to the corner hotel while the Church of England Mission hall of 1913 in Spring Street is closely related visually and stylistically to the hotel.The hotel design is stylistically similar to some Sydney Smith & Ogg hotel designs of the era, and the integrity is high despite changes to ground level joinery (doors, windows), the openings themselves remain unchanged. Given the high integrity, the hotel has potential social significance for its public use since the 1920s.How is it significant?Elms Family Hotel is significant socially, historically and aesthetically to the Melbourne Capital City Zone.Why is it significant?Elms Family Hotel is significant socially and historically for its long use as a public house within the City and its relatively high integrity to that use.Aesthetically the hotel design is significant as a well preserved and successful custom design in a prevailing architectural style of the inter-war period..GRAEME BUTLER 1985 MELBOURNE CENTRAL ACTIVITIES DISTRICT CONSERVATION STUDYBUILDING IDENTIFICATION FORM cites HBPC CBD Area Study (77): 90 Commonwealth owned- no recommendations, not recommended to NER; notes pressed metal ceilings, says built 1907, hotel there since 1860s,Ms Emma Elms as was owner and Harry McShane occupier in 1907 extended to south c1910_________________________________________CITY OF MELBOURNE BUILDING PERMIT APPLICATIONSMCC Building Application:15/7/1924 6518 rebuild hotel ₤350030/8/1921 3563 new garage and factory ₤2800_________________________________________City of Melbourne i-Heritage:Central Activities District Conservation Study - Graeme Butler, 1984 Building Identification Form (BIF): Notable features include unpainted decorative brickwork; retains evidence of early colours or finishes; elaborate/high standard design of cement rendered surfaces; use of decorative 'structural' brickwork; multi-gabled elevations uncommon; old hotel site, i.e.. Old Gov. Bourke Hotel (1850s). Alterations / Recommendations: Addition to south (sympathetic), signs - number and type (inappropriate - remove or reinstate sympathetic alternative), balls at parapet gone (inappropriate - reinstate original design or sympathetic alternative)._________________________________________STATE LIBRARY OF VICTORIACole Collection (State Library of Victoria collection:)EDDY, THOMAS FAUCKNERDate JAN 1926WORT, CLIFFORD HDate MAY 1926_________________________________________Claim: Elms Family Hotel on Spring Street lays claim to the longest existing hotel license, but not in the same location_________________________________________Mahlstedt Fire Insurance Plan Series:Mahlstedt 1924- (State Library of Victoria collection:, as amended) Map 8a shows 2 storey building as is with L-shape building on south and west side on Griffin LaneMahlstedt 1910-1923, (State Library of Victoria collection:) - no map 8AM1910-1923 (MUA) plan 8A: Elms Family Hotel -shows earlier building as 2 storey smaller in plan with a small out building in rear yard.Image (State Library of Victoria collection:):[Little Lonsdale Street - north side, looking west from Spring Street corner] [picture]* Author/Creator: Australia Dept. of Housing and Construction Victoria/Tasmania Region ;* Date (s): 1950* Description: photograph : gelatine silver ; 12.0 x 15.2 cm. approx.* Identifier(s): Accession no(s) H81.137/64* Contents/Summary: Shows Elms Family Hotel._________________________________________LEWIS, M- AUSTRALIAN ARCHITECTURE INDEX:Harry J. James, 199 Hoddle St.,architect, for Collingwood Shoe Factory, under construction in Easey St., Collingwood.Age 19.9.1933 in RVIA PressCuttings, 1933-4Harry J. JamesForesters' Ballroom, Collingwood (VIC) mentioned in advert.Royal Victorian Institute of Architects Journal Jan. 1933, p i_________________________________________Australia Death Index, 1787-1985about Margaret Ellen E ElmsName: Margaret Ellen E ElmsDeath Place: Footscray, VictoriaAge: 71Father's name: John HumphreysMother's name: MaryRegistration Year: 1966Registration Place: VictoriaRegistration Number: 6916_________________________________________NEWSPAPERS (TROVE)`The Argus'2 July 1926`ELM'S FAMILY HOTEL, cor. Spring and Little Lonsdale Streets., Melb. First-class accommodation for visitors.Cliff H. Wort, Proprietor (late Belfast Hotel, Launceston). Terms moderate. . .'7 August 1928 Death` Elms Family Hotel, Spring street, Melbourne. Kathleen Rose, dearly beloved wife of Clifford Wort.May her soul rest in peace.WORT. - On the 6th August, at Elms Family Hotel, Spring street(Kath), loving daughter of Annie and the late James Sherry (formerly of Albury), and loving sister of Kate (Mrs. J. Crowley), Nellie (deceased), Jack. Lily (deceased). Annie (Mrs. J. Curley), May (Mrs…'Wednesday 19 March 1930` LICENSING PROSECUTIONS.City Hotelkeepers Fined.Madge Mary Stack, licensee of the Elms Family» Hotel Spring street,…' selling liquor wrongly labelledTuesday 22 January 1935: Licence AC Whitehead to Grace Ellen GibsonTuesday 17 March 1936: Licence from Grace Gibson to Nancy Mellott16 July 1951MELLOTT-On July 15 John Charles loved brother-in law of Harry Aldred (on July 15 John Charles loved brother of George and Nancy Mellott of Elms Family Hole) Spring street Melbourne - To know him was to love him7 March 1953LICENCE- I Nancv Mellett the bolder of a Victualler s licence for Elms Family Hotel in Spring street Melbourne In the Melbourne Licensing District and .. Valentine John Ferguson and Gladys May Ferguson both of 34 Droop street Footscray hereby give notice that we will APPLY. to the Licensing Court at Melbourne on Monday the 16th day of March 1953 for the TRANSFER of the» LICENCE to the said Valentine John Ferguson on behalf of himself and the said Gladys May Ferguson carrying on business In partnership under the firm name of V J & G M FergusonDated 4th March 1953..'_________________________________________DIRECTORIES OF VICTORIA, MELBOURNE-SANDS AND KENNY, SANDS & MCDOUGALL(1880 183 Old Governor Bourke hotel , Heffernan, J.(1910 269-271 Elms Family Hotel Henry McShane(1920 269-271 Elms Family Hotel Mrs Mabel McShane(1924 269-271 Elms Family Hotel Miss E Elms(Electoral Rolls 1924-1925 (Gipps Ward, Melbourne) Emma Elms home duties 269 Spring St, ER1926 Elms not there1930 267-271 Elms Family Hotel Mrs Madge StackLittle Lonsdale- Robertson, RS - motor and general engineers.1935 267-271 Elms Family Hotel AC Whitehead(no Little Lonsdale listing)1939-D1950 Elms Family Hotel Mrs N Mellett(no Little Lonsdale listing)
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1263227
| Type | Reference No. | Extent | Status/Desc |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original | 108991 | 1 JPEG : 441 KB ; A4 | Single Item (May not be issued, may not be reproduced) |