Australia Felix Hotel, later Alhambra, Stutt's, Morells', and Richardson's Hotel, and National Australia Bank, 168-174 Bourke Street, Melbourne
Butler, Graeme1985
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The Australia Felix Family Hotel was first opened in Bourke Street in 1847 by Robert Sawyer: it was shown on Bibb's' plan of 1856 as a substantial building. The hotel was rebuilt in 1862 for Charles Downie as dining room, bar, parlour, 19 sitting & sleeping rooms and a cellar, with adjoining shops.
Title:
Australia Felix Hotel, later Alhambra, Stutt's, Morells', and Richardson's Hotel, and National Australia Bank, 168-174 Bourke Street, Melbourne
Creator:
Date of work:
1985
Reference number:
BIF-CITY 101209
Level of description:
Item from Collection: Heritage Collection (HC)
Type of materials:
Graphic materialsTextual material
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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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ASSOCIATED RESEARCH ADDED BY GRAEME BUTLER:Period: Early VictorianConstruction date: 1860-61, 1876.GRAEME BUTLER & ASSOCIATES 2011, CENTRAL CITY (HODDLE GRID) HERITAGE REVIEWStatement of SignificanceWhat is significant?The Australia Felix Family Hotel was first opened in Bourke Street in 1847 by Robert Sawyer: it was shown on Bibb's' plan of 1856 as a substantial building. The hotel was rebuilt in 1862 for Charles Downie as dining room, bar, parlour, 19 sitting & sleeping rooms and a cellar, with adjoining shops. It had a an upper-floor dance hall called the Alhambra Dancing Saloon.From 1884 it was owned by Esteban Morell and became known as Morell's Hotel. James Richardson, a young Scottish barman from the Old White Hart Hotel, became friends with Morell, who in 1893 financed Richardson's lease of Morell's Hotel. Within six years Richardson had purchased the freehold and moved in to live on the top floor. By 1932 Richardson owned and administered eight other city hotels: Hosie's Hotel, the Alexander (later the Savoy), the Kerry Family, the Exchange, the Town Hall, the Cosmopolitan, the Cathedral and the London.In 1950 the hotel's Kelly's Bar was termed thus: 'In 60 years that bar has heard more bright talk among tragedians, comedians, magicians, and contortionists than any other in Melbourne. It has been a friendly place where everyone meets everyone else…', as a celebration of the long-term barman there, Joseph Kelly.After Richardson's death at the hotel in 1951, the building was purchased by the National Bank, opening as a branch in 1954. It was classified by the National Trust in 1991.This two storey Italian Renaissance revival corner building resembles a Leonard Terry designed bank rather than an early Victorian-era City hotel. The elegant aedicules framing upper-level windows vary from bracketed concave hoods to the segmental arch over the corner window; windows are double-hung sash timber framed. Above the dentilated heavily moulded cement cornice is an unusual shallow attic level with applied pilasters on each side of wall panels, as also for the façade upper-level, with small window openings, each surmounted by a victory wreath.Openings at ground level have changed but the classical orders are still applied to frame each opening in a manner that is related to the upper-level. The bank tenancy is echoed by the overnight safe in the west ground floor plinth and perhaps the panelled entry doors at the splayed corner and on the west façade. Adjoining on the north is a related Victorian-era shop and residence pair.How is it significant?The Australia Felix Hotel is historically and aesthetically significant to the Capital City Zone.Why is it significant?The Australia Felix Hotel is historically significant as one of the earliest group of corner hotels in the City dating from the financial boost just after the first wave of the 1850s gold rush. Over time the building has held many gatherings and performed a key social role in the area, particularly for theatre goers and performers. The former hotel also has a long association with the noted hotel entrepreneur, James Richardson.Architecturally, the former hotel shows the elegant restraint of early Renaissance Revival designs in the City with subsequent ground level changes being carried out in manner that is related to the original upper-level façade..FURTHER REFERENCES.(see also Alexander Hotel for James Richardson).GRAEME BUTLER 1985 MELBOURNE CENTRAL ACTIVITIES DISTRICT CONSERVATION STUDYBUILDING IDENTIFICATION FORM cites Lewis, Nigel 1976 Historic and Architectural Survey of the Central City of Melbourne Bourke Street, east, Area 8 of the survey commissioned by the Historic Buildings Preservation Council, p17- Australia Felix Hotel here since 1846, not recommended to Historic Buildings Register;Victoria Illustrated: 166.National Trust of Australia (Vic) register:Former Felix Hotel, 168 Bourke Street, MELBOURNE, Melbourne CityFile Number: B6214, Level: RegionalStatement of Significance`This corner-sited, two-storey former hotel building in the Italian Renaissance manner was rebuilt in 1860 on the site of an earlier 1846 hotel structure. Last known as Richardson's Hotel, it was licensed to Robert Sawyers in 1847 as the Australian Felix Hotel. This building is of national cultural significance as the headquarters of the Richardson Hotel chain from the turn of the century until 1944. The chain's founder, James Richardson (1865-1951), who also lived in the hotel's upper floor, was acknowledged as Australia's largest hotel magnate at the time of his death and with a fortune of two million pounds was also one of Australia's wealthiest businessmen. Prior to Richardson the hotel was also associated with the Morell family; a son, Sir Stephen Morell, was Lord Mayor of Melbourne in 1926..This building is of architectural significance as one of Melbourne's, and probably Victoria's, few remaining Italian Renaissance styled hotels. Historically, the early dating of the Australia Felix/Richardson's Hotel's construction and rebuilding makes it a valuable addition within the small group of immediate post-gold era hotels remaining within Melbourne and a contributor to the adjacent Little Bourke Street Historic precinct.'.State Library of Victoria Map CollectionAC Cooke Melbourne panorama 1871: similar building shownAC Cook, 1882 Melbourne Panorama H17929: shows similar building with attic level as existingDeGruchy & Leigh 1866: 3 storey building at corner?.Heritage Inventory (HR): H7822-1518Location168-174 BOURKE STREET MELBOURNE, Melbourne CityHeritage Inventory Description`Australia Felix Hotel on site from 1846. Rebuilt 1860-61. Operated as an hotel until the post-war period. 1880 panorama - large two-storey building. 1888 and 1905 maps - two-storey building, Family Hotel. '.Mahlstedt fire insurance plan seriesMahlstedt & Gee, 1888: Plan 4: shows 2 storey Morell's … Family Hotel at corner, with billiard room north end along Russell StMahlstedt 1910-: Plan 4: shows 2 storey Richardson's Family Hotel at corner, as 158-160Google maps: air view shows two roof bays with hipped form to bay along Russell St..MCC i-Heritage:Central Activities District Conservation Study - Graeme Butler, 1984 : Building Identification Form (BIF): : Alterations / Recommendations: New openings , ground , new outer doors ( sympathetic - reinstate original design) New glazing, ground, parapet urns gone ( inappropriate - reinstate original design or sympathetic alternative) Entry over-panel ( inappropriate - remove or reinstate sympathetic alternative). Other Comments Two thirds of original Bourke St façade. Slim attic windows (?) at parapet.'.Lewis, M. Australian Architecture Index (AAI):(Leonard) Terry lets contract for manse for St. Andrew's, Carlton, to Downie and Sturgess for £1356.0.0.Building Times, I, 1 (1 Oct. 1869) p 5Peter Matthews, archt.., 52 CollinsStreet, east.' Tenders called for alterations to Stutts Hotel, Bourke St.Argus 12.8.1876, p 3.Chrystopher J. Spicer on eMelbourne website:Published by School of Historical StudiesDepartment of History, The University of MelbourneProduced by the School of Historical StudiesDepartment of History, The University of MelbournePublished July 2008http://www.emelbourne.net.au/biogs/EM01244b.htmUpdated: 25 February 2010:`Richardson's HotelLocated on the north-east corner of Bourke and Russell streets, this hotel was first built in 1846 as the Australia Felix Hotel for Robert Sawyer and rebuilt in 1860 for Charles Downie with an upper-floor dance hall called the Alhambra (later the Alfred Hall). From 1884 it was owned by Esteban Morell and became known as Morell's Hotel. James Richardson, a young Scottish barman from the Old White Hart Hotel, became friends with Morell, who in 1893 financed Richardson's lease of Morell's Hotel. Within six years Richardson had purchased the freehold and moved in to live on the top floor. By 1932 he owned and administered eight other city hotels: Hosie's Hotel, the Alexander (later the Savoy), the Kerry Family, the Exchange, the Town Hall, the Cosmopolitan, the Cathedral and the London. After Richardson's death in 1951, the building was purchased by the National Bank, opening as a branch in 1956. It was classified by the National Trust in 1991.Chrystopher J. Spicer'(Graeme Butler note: Morrell was the licensee when Mrs Dawson was the owner).NEWSPAPERS (TROVE)`The Argus' 7 October 1862:`The District Court was occupied yesterday for a considerable time with the case of Louisa Smith v. Laura Gorman, in which the complainant sought to recover £20 damages for injuries she had sustained from the defendant's violent conduct. The affair appeared to have arisen out of a quarrel amongst the females who frequent the Alhambra Dancing Saloon, in the Australia Felix Hotel, Bourke-street. The evidence of plaintiff and several of her own class was taken, and it was proved that defendant, in the course of the fight that ensued between her and the plaintiff, bit the neck of the latter so violently as to cause a great wound, and a probable disfigurement permanently, The original provocation of the quarrel was plaintiff- jealousy of the defendant having attracted from her the temporary attentions of a gentleman, who treated them until they were both intoxicated. It was stated that defendant, after the assault, swore that she would have plaintiff's blood, and to got it would bite her to pieces. Defendant now said that she was drunk at the time, that she did not mean to hurt the other woman, and that the latter had tried to bite her. Mr. Hackett awarded the plaintiff £10 damages, and 23s. 6d, costs; and, in default of payment, defendant was to go to prison for fourteen days.'.`The Argus' Saturday 2 April 1938 article on old Bourke St:Australia Felix built 1846- rebuilt 1860, with concert and dance hall on the upper level known as Alhambra- now hotel is Richardson's..`The Argus' :18/4/1860: licensing court: Charles Downie, Commercial Hotel, Little Bourke-street.28/4/1858: Charles Downie, Commercial Inn, Lit Bourke-street. Granted.4/6/1866: court proceedings`…FORGERY AND UTTERING.Joseph H. Soden and Chauncy Presley pleaded "Not Guilty" to an information charging them with forging and uttering certain forged notes of the Bank of Victoria, with intent to defraud. There were several counts varying formally the offence charged…'`..Several witnesses were called to speak to the previous good character of each of the prisoners, amongst them, Mr. Charles Downie, of the Australia Felix Hotel, in whose employment prisoner Presley had been, and to whom one of the forged notes had been passed. Mr. Downie stated that he did not believe that Presley had any intention to defraud him in passing to him the note in question. Another witness stated that Presley had given him one of the forged notes, and afterwards exchanged it for a good one. Mr. Samuel Haigh, of the firm of Haigh Brothers, said the prisoner Soden had been in their employ from March, 1860 to March, 1863, and he believed him to be an honest well disposed young man, Soden's father also asked for mercy to his son, who, he stated, had had very had health, and had been for a long time under treatment at the Melbourne Hospital.'.The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : Thursday 1 August 1872 Page 2/ 8:`VALUABLE FREEHOLD PROPERTY,Situate at Footscray; and having a Frontage toThe SALTWATER RIVER.By Order of the Administrator of the Freehold Landsof Mr. Charles Downie, Deceased,For POSITIVE SALE..WM PERRY and Co, have received Instructions from tho administrator of the freehold lands to Mr. Charles Downie, deceased, to SELL by AUCTION, on the premises, Footscray, on Monday, August 6, at two o'clock prompt, For positive sale,All that piece or parcel of land situate In the parish of Doutta Galla, In tho county of Bourke and colony of Vitoria, being part of Allotment No. 21 of Section - of tho said parish, commencing at a point on the north-western aide of the Government road one chain wide, …Together with the whole of the buildings erected thereon, Consisting of A very large and substantially-built building, 80ft. wide by 340ft. long, roofed with galvanised corrugated iron. The sides are of battens, and the Inside is fitted up for a complete wool-washing establishment.The weight of iron on the roofs is 35 tons. The whole building was erected at a oust of about £8000.There Is also A very well-made and strongly-built wharf along about 100ft. of the frontage to the Saltwater River, which, with the buildings, are all raised above the highest flood level.… auctioneers are desirous of calling the especial attention of wool* washers, moat-preserving companies, and manufacturers generally to the above favourable opportunity of purchasing a very valuable property,…'.`The Argus':Thursday 7 September 1950`Joe Kelly of "Kellys Bar""MAKE it Kelly's bar."That appointment among actors, journalists, vaudeville artists, detectives, and stage hands for 40 years has meant adrink and a chat in à city bar with personality. Actually it is one of the bars in the hotel at the corner of Bourke and Russell sts., where Mr. James Richardson founded his hotel fortune.But it is the only bar in the city that is personified by the name of the kindly and dignified head barman, Mr. Joseph Kelly.In 60 years that bar has heard more bright talk among tragedians, comedians, magi- cians, and contortionists than any other in Melbourne. It has been a friendly place where everyone meets everyone else..A big gathering of friends toasted Mr. Kelly this week, when he completed 40 years of service. Here is the range of ' his reminiscence :Big Cricket: Clem Hill to Neil Harvey.League Football: Dick Lee toJohn Coleman. . .The Stage: Oscar Asche to Sir Laurence Olivier.Boxing: Bill Squires to Mickey Tollis.Vaudeville: "Little Tich" to Arthur Askey.'.Saturday 29 September 1951£643,830FORPROBATEThe Equity Trustees Company yesterday ap- plied for probate of the will of the late James Richardson, wine and spirit merchant, of Melbourne.Assets were provisionally stated at £643,830.Mr. Richardson, who died on August 12, was a well known owner of hotels and wine and spirit stores..Wednesday 24 October 1951"STATE SHOULD TAKE HALF £1M. ESTATE"-Mr. Cain on probate'The estate of a bachelor millionaire who died in Melbourne recently should pay at least 50% in State probate duty, Mr. Cain, State Labor, said yesterday. Mr. Cain said it was ridiculous that the State should be able to claim only 12% of the millionaire's fortune in probate when the Federal Government taxed people 15/- in the £…Mr. James Richardson, a bachelor hotel owner, left a fortune when he died in August.'.Wednesday 30 June 1954`Bank buys hotelAn old city landmark, Richardson's Hotel, on the north-east corner of Bourke and Russell sts., was bought at auction yesterday for £131,500 by the National Bank of Australasia LtdThe property com- prises a three-storey hotel building and two adjoining two-storey shops, at 162-4 Russell st., on land 56ft. to Bourke st. by 96ft. to Russell st., with an area of 5,738 sq. ft. 'The buildings were the last real estate in the estate of the late James Richardson, and were sold, with vacant posses-, sion, under instructions ' from the Equity Trustees Co. Ltd.A value of £10,000 was placed on the victualler's licence and £4,066 on plant and fittings for salepurposes.Auctioneers in yesterday's sale were Baillieu ' Ainrd Pty. Ltd., J. J., McGce and Co., and W.D. Sampson and Son. Mr Morris Sallmann acted for the buyer. '.Publican Index of 19th Century Victoria, web:SAWYERS ROBERT Australian Felix Family 1847- new licenceSAWYERS RACHAEL Australia Felix Hotel 1851-.Cole Collection:Hotel AUSTRALIA FELIXLocation BOURKE STSAWYERS, ROBERTDate 1847/50.SAWYERS, RACHELDate 1850/55BALCH, WILLIAMDate 1855/62DOWNIE, CHAS.Date 1862/69DOWNIE, CHAS.Date 1870.DIRECTORIES OF VICTORIA, MELBOURNE-SANDS AND KENNY, SANDS & MCDOUGALLD1857-1860 Balch, Wm. Australia Felix Family Hotel(D1858 Charles Downie, Commercial Inn, Lt Bourke St east)D1861 (Russell st at Bourke St) `Premises erecting'(106 Temperance League office)D1862-D1863 (Russell St number as above and Bourke St East lists) Downie, Charles Australia Felix Hotel(121..)D1864 Bourke St EastAustralia Felix Hotel, Charles Downie,Alhambra Assembly roomsBasch and Ruppin, tobacconists(123…)D1870 Australia Felix Hotel Charles Downie (next east is 121)D1875 Stutt's Hotel, William StuttD1880 Stutt's hotel-Stutt, William(119A Colbath, Frank, bootmaker)D1885 Morell's HotelD1889 Morell's Hotel (174) Stephen MorellD1893 (170 Levy, Joseph, tobacconist)174 Marsh's hotel-Morell, StephenD1900 (Samuel Sternberg importerJames Simpson tobacconist )James Richardson Richardson's hotelD1905 (Mentiplay & Sons herbalistsJames Simpson tobacconist )James Richardson Richardson's hotelD1910 (Mentiplay & Sons herbalistsJames Simpson tobacconist )James Richardson Richardson's hotelD1915 Mentiplay & Sons herbalistsJames Simpson tobacconistJames Richardson Richardson's hotelD1920 John J. Welsh Cooee CaféJames Simpson tobacconistJames Richardson Richardson's hotelD1924 Richardson's hotelD1930 -1935 Richardson's hotelD1939 Richardson's hotelD1944 -45 Richardson's hotelD1950 Richardson's hotelD1955 National Bank of Australasia Ltd.City of Melbourne Rate Books:VPRO: VPRS 5708 (micro fiche)Bourke Street 168-174 – Gipps Ward (extract)1863 70 Chas Downie Cnr. Bourke & Russel Sts. Australia Felix hotel with bar large concert rm. Parlour and 19 rms. 60071 Mr Marsh Downie 121 Bk. Shop 1 rm. 12072 T Carpenter Downie 123 Bk. Shop 1 rm. 12073 S Skeene Downie 125 Bk. Shop 1 rm. 12074 Robert Crofts Downie 125 Bk. Shop 1 rm.1862 136 Charles Dowling Charles Dowling Australia Felix Hotel containing bar, parlour, 19 sitting & sleeping rms. With cellar 700137 George Marsh Charles Dowling 121 shop & 1 rm. 140138 Thomas Carpenter Charles Dowling 123 shop & 1 rm. 140139 Lewis Davis Charles Dowling 125 shop & 1 rm. 1401861 No listing1860 132 W Balch Bar 14 rms. Australia Felix cellar & stables 550
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1189517
| Type | Reference No. | Extent | Status/Desc |
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| Original | 101209 | 1 PDF : 907 KB ; A4 | Group of Items (May not be issued, may not be reproduced) |