County Court Hotel, later Oxford Hotel, Oxford Scholar Hotel, 427-433 Swanston Street, Melbourne
Butler, Graeme1985
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Title:
County Court Hotel, later Oxford Hotel, Oxford Scholar Hotel, 427-433 Swanston Street, Melbourne
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Date of work:
1985
Reference number:
BIF-CITY 109317
Level of description:
Item from Collection: Heritage Collection (HC)
Type of materials:
Graphic materialsTextual material
Part of:
Series: Central City (BIF-CITY)
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UnrestrictedOpen access.
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UnrestrictedPlease contact City of Melbourne Libraries about obtaining permission to reproduce images.
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RESEARCH ADDED BY GRAEME BUTLER 2023:__________________________________________________DATE: 1887;ASSOCIATIONS: Hill, Mrs;DESIGNER: D'Ebro, Charles;BUILDER: Maxwell, HPeriod: Victorian_____________________GRAEME BUTLER & ASSOCIATES 2011, CENTRAL CITY (HODDLE GRID) HERITAGE REVIEWStatement of SignificanceWhat is significant?The County Court Hotel was constructed by H Maxwell, as hotel and 2 shops for a Mrs Hill in 1887 to the design of eminent architect, Charles D'Ebro, and on the site of an earlier hotel of the same name. The hotel adopted the name, Oxford Hotel, in 1892 under licensee, Mrs M Norris. This was not long after the Working Men's College had opened opposite in June 1887 (Building 1) to take the first students and vastly extended its role in the following year. The hotel has played a key role in student social life since that date. One of the more colourful licensees in the 1930s-40s was George S Johnson who has been described as the first of the footballer `superstars' while the accompanying two shops served as tea rooms and later, tea rooms and hairdresser..The building presents a well-resolved English Queen Anne Revival parapeted façade to each of its street frontages, as expressed by the use of face red brick with cemented classical mouldings in contrast to the prevailing all-rendered hotel examples that also drew on classical detailing. The design centres upon a corner entry element rising to a massive foliated, raised and gabled cement pediment at the parapet with the words `erected 1887' in raised lettering. The parapet has a deep bracketed cornice, gablets set over façade bays, and a deep parapet entablature. Cemented red brick chimney pieces form a part of the picturesque building outline created by the gabled main pediment and parapet gablets.The hotel ground floor retains early smooth rustication, arched window groupings within façade bays, ornate cemented architraves and the aedicules above many of the windows and doors provide for a high overall integrity for a City hotel. The upper storeys have also retained a high level of integrity with first floor level windows possessing decorative pediments while those at second floor level are simpler with a linking string mould and the signature Queen Anne scroll details to sills. New ground level openings have been created in a visually related manner along the Swanston Street north façade. A large development is underway (2011) adjoining the hotel, meaning demolition of rear service buildings.This design along with the former Wool Exchange Building (Winfield Building, Collins St) of 1891 is a precursor to D'Ebro's Edwardian-era work which included the 1901 Gollin Building at 563 Bourke Street, also in the Queen Anne manner but more picturesque as inspired by Norman Shaw. There was also the 1905 the Adelaide Steamship Building. The hotel is contemporary with the important Queen Anne pioneer coffee palace design, Queen Bess Row in East Melbourne, which was built 1886-87 and designed by the Melbourne architects Tappin Gilbert & Dennehy (Victorian Heritage Register).How is it significant?County Court Hotel , later Oxford Hotel, is significant socially and historically to the Melbourne Capital City Zone and aesthetically to Victoria.Why is it significant?County Court Hotel, later Oxford Hotel is of aesthetic significance as an early, successful and well preserved example of English Queen Anne revival as applied to a corner Capital City Zone hotel. This is exemplified by the face brickwork which accentuates, by way of contrast, the high standard of cemented mouldings. The design is a precursor to highly significant designs executed by D'Ebro immediately before and after the 1890s depression.Historically the building has served continuously as a hotel since 1887, paralleling the development of the nearby Working Men's College and attracting public memories over an extended period as meeting and social gathering place.,RAWORTH, B 2002. REVIEW OF HERITAGE OVERLAY LISTINGS IN THE CBDfor the City of MelbourneHistory and DescriptionThe County Court Hotel, was constructed in 1887 on the site of an earlier hotel of the same name 1. The designer and builder of the three storey hotel are not known. The hotel adopted the current name, The Oxford Scholar, in 1893. 2The building presents a well-resolved Renaissance Revival facade to each of its street frontages. The facades are of particular note for the execution in face brick and render rather than the more usual fully rendered approach. The design centres upon a corner entry element rising to a massive pediment with the words erected 1887 in raised lettering above a simply modelled parapet. The ground floor has been modified in recent years but retains early rustication and ornate arches above many of the windows and doors. The upper storeys have retained higher levels of integrity to their early state with windows at first floor level retaining decorative pediments while those at second floor level are simpler with decorative scroll details to sills. The building has been painted which has obscured the early red brick character but the building (Graeme Butler note: paint since removed) is clearly legible as an early hotel and remains in good condition.Statement of SignificanceThe Oxford Scholar Hotel is of aesthetic and historical significance at a local level as a late nineteenth century hotel with a handsome Renaissance Revival façade in face brick and render. The building has served as a hotel for over a century.____________________________GRAEME BUTLER 1985 MELBOURNE CENTRAL ACTIVITIES DISTRICT CONSERVATION STUDYBUILDING IDENTIFICATION FORM___________________________Parapet date___________________________City of Melbourne Building Permit Application (BPA) 1887,2700 hotel and 2 shops___________________________HBPC CBD Area Study (83):19 built 1887 altered internally, externally painted…MCC i-Heritage: Central Activities District Conservation Study - Graeme Butler, 1984 Building Identification Form (BIF): Notable features include ground level high integrity; corner site. Alterations / Recommendations: Bricks painted (inappropriate - remove by approved method), parapet urns gone and new shopfront (both inappropriate - reinstate original design or sympathetic alternative).___________________________MCC i-Heritage: 2011Central Activities District Conservation Study 2000 cites: 1 Butler, CAD Conservation Study, 1985, Oxford Hotel. 2 Sands and MacDougall, Directory of Victoria, 1865-1893___________________________NEWSPAPERS:`The Argus':Thursday 7 April 1892: Permission was given to Mary Morris, licensee of the County Court Hotel, Swanston street, to change the name of that hotel to the 'Oxford Hotel'7 Dec 1886: Transfer to Margaret Harrington, County Court Hotel, Swanston-street;27 April 1888 and Monday 30 April 1888 `Bicyclists (Professional and Amateur), Captains and Secretaries of City and Suburban Clubs are requested to attend a MEETING on Monday, April 20, at 8 o'clock p m , at Barton's County Court Hotel, Swanston street north, to receive proposals for the advancement cycling.'Friday 14 October 1892Case before Mr. Nicolson, P.M. of the Licensing court:The other cases were notable for hard swearing. Mrs. Norris, licensee of the Oxford Hotel, Swanston street, was charged with not having her bar door shut and locked on Friday, September 30, at a quarter-past 1 a.m. Sergeant Hayes and Constable Hallett gave evidence in support of the charge stating that the bar door was open when they called at the time mentioned. The licensee and her husband denied the truth of the police evidence and Mr Norris went so far as swearing that Sergeant Hayes took advantage of the fact that the key was left in the door and unlocked it himself. The Bench, In the decision of the majority, elected to believe the police witnesses and having advised the licensee to keep the key out of the door in future fined her ₤5.'Friday 25 August 1899`BACKING THE WRONG HORSE.The disadvantages of betting by proxy were illustrated in the City Court yesterday, when Margaret Farquharson, licensee of the Oxford Hotel, Swanston street, charged Angus Miller, a barman, with having stolen £2, money which she had given him to 'back' a horse called 'Novus' in the Ladies Bracelet race at Caulfield on August 9 The horse won, but when the informant asked Miller for her winnings, he sorrowfully recited how, on arriving at the racecourse, he had come to the conclusion that another horse named Bluecap had a better chance of winning the race, and he had therefore 'backed' it The informant indignantly asked tor the return of her money, and as it was not forthcoming she charged him with having stolen it'Monday 20 April 1942`Sydney George ('Mallee') Johnson, former police officer, and Carlton footballer, now proprietor of Oxford Hotel, Swanston st, city, struck by car near his home, concussion, fractured ribs, and facial abrasions; treated at Royal Melbourne Hospital.'Thursday 18 June 1953`Warrnambool after this year's 'Argus' Melbourne - Warrnambool road race on October 3….`Yesterday Mr. Morrie Johnson, of the Oxford Hotel in Swanston st., gave £10/10/ towards the race.Mr. Johnson has been interested in the bike game and the Warrnambool for more than 20 years.'___________________________Wikipedia, 2011George S. Johnson(From Wikipedia...)`Commencing at Richmond in the VFA in 1901, 'Mallee' Johnson became 'a folk hero to the club ... the first of the super-heroes'. By 1902 he was the dominant big man in the competition and an integral part of Richmond winning their first premiership.He left Punt Road for the VFL prior to the 1905 season and in his five seasons at Carlton the team played in the finals every year, winning the premiership in 1906, 1907 and 1908. Johnson represented the VFL at the 1908 Melbourne Carnival.When legendary Carlton coach Jack Worrall was pressured into resigning in 1909, Johnson was one of the players who chose to leave the club at the end of the season. He went back to the VFA and played in North Melbourne's 1910 premiership side and later with Melbourne City and Prahran.' cites Hansen, B (1989). Tigerland - The History of the Richmond Football Club From 1885. Melbourne: Richmond Former Players and Officials Assoc.. pp. p25.P25._____________________________DIRECTORIES OF VICTORIA, MELBOURNE-SANDS AND KENNY, SANDS & MCDOUGALL1880 County Court Hotel, Wernicke, Ernest1893 429 The Oxford Hotel - Norris, Mrs M.431 Jurgen, , Augustus , restaurant1904 427-429 The Oxford Hotel—Owen, Richard431-433 Adam, Robert, restaurant1935 The Oxford Hotel Temple, Reg.(431 Brooks hairdresser, 433 Miss Holten, tea rooms)1939 The Oxford Hotel Johnson, GS,(431 Brooks hairdresser, 433 Miss Holten, tea rooms)1944-45 The Oxford Hotel Johnson, GS(431 J Lowe hairdresser, 433 Miss D Owen tea rooms)1950 The Oxford Hotel1955 The Oxford Hotel
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1264428
| Type | Reference No. | Extent | Status/Desc |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original | 109317 | 1 JPEG : 751 KB ; A4 | Single Item (May not be issued, may not be reproduced) |