Ballarat later British & American Hotel & shop & residences (part), 51-53 Bourke Street, Melbourne
Butler, Graeme01/01/1985
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Total copies: 1
A conservative Italian Renaissance revival elevation with an enriched parapet, quoins and bracketed hoods over window openings. The McIlwraith Place Corner is splayed (at the upper level) as an indication of the former hotel function.
Title:
Ballarat later British & American Hotel & shop & residences (part), 51-53 Bourke Street, Melbourne
Creator:
Date of work:
01/01/1985
Reference number:
BIF-CITY 101111 101112
Level of description:
Item from Collection: Heritage Collection (HC)
Type of materials:
Graphic materials
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:
ASSOCIATED RESEARCH BY GRAEME BUTLER:Period: VictorianGraeme Butler 1985 Melbourne Central Activities District Conservation StudyStatement of SignificanceHistoryIn June, 1859, builder Charles Brown applied to build an hotel and what was originally two shops for Jason W. Barwick. The twelve-room hotel opened as the Ballarat, with George Simmins as licensee. An hotel of many national alliances and moral persuasions, it was also the British & American (1862-6) under W. Kennedy and one O'Flannery, the Manners-Sutton (1866-74) under J. Devonshire and F. Bassalt, the Universal (1874-8) under McNeilly, Bailey and Clark, the Adelaide (1876-81) under Rowe, Woodcock and O'Brien, the New Zealand Club (1881-2) and the Temperance (c1883-5) under a Mr. Hardy, a nominee of the McCracken brewery.The shop tenants were just as diverse. There was an emphasis on nature and animal life, with E.W. Fisher's botanic store (next to Thomas Fox, bird importer) in the 1870s, a sartorial theme in the early 1880s (Abraham Solomon, tailor and John Jones, boot importer) and Sydney Abraham's pawn shop next to Charles Legal's cafe at the end of the 1880s. The Nicholas family owned this pair by the mid-1890s, Barwick having expired ten years before.DescriptionA conservative Italian Renaissance revival elevation with an enriched parapet, quoins and bracketed hoods over window openings. The McIlwraith Place Corner is splayed (at the upper level) as an indication of the former hotel function.External IntegrityThe ground level has been largely replaced, numerous intrusive signs and air units have been added and the window joinery altered in detail. Urns or orbs probably once adorned the parapet.StreetscapeIsolated Victorian period pair.SignificanceA relatively old hotel and shop, but much altered. As an hotel, it has performed a quasi public building role which may be expressed by parts of its interior and most of its exterior.FURTHER REFERENCESLewis, M. Australian Architecture Index:73637 Owner: Green, E B Melbourne VIC Hotels; Shops; Builder: Brown, Charles - Melbourne 1859 06 3: MCC registration no 411 [Burchett Index]. Fee 9.0.0hotel & two shops
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Record types:
Research and reports
Record number:
1179858
| Type | Reference No. | Extent | Status/Desc |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original | 101111 101112 | 1 PDF : 421 KB ; A4 | Group of Items (May not be issued, may not be reproduced) |