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FORMER ROYAL HOTEL
85 NELSON PLACE WILLIAMSTOWN, HOBSONS BAY CITY

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Victorian Heritage Register
FORMER ROYAL HOTEL SOHE 2008
FORMER ROYAL HOTEL SOHE 2008
FORMER ROYAL HOTEL SOHE 2008
1 former royal hotel nelson place williamstown front view sep1998
former royal hotel williamstown plan
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Statement of Significance

What is significant?
The former Royal Hotel was built in 1890 following the demolition of an earlier building on the site. Publican Thomas de Wardt had the new hotel built by Henry Hick to a design by architect T Anthoness. It was de-licensed early in the 20th century and has been used as a boarding house ever since. The three-storeyed, red brick and stucco building is designed in the Anglo-Dutch (Queen Anne) revival style. The highly mannered facade, characterised by Flemish gables and a central bay surmounted by a rectangular brick panel and adorned with a cement garland, features distinctive stucco ornament.

How is it significant?
The former Royal Hotel has architectural and historical significance to the state of Victoria.

Why is it significant?
The former Royal Hotel is of architectural significance as a highly mannered and early example of the Anglo-Dutch (Queen Anne) revival style in Victoria. This move towards the red brick idiom in response to developments in England represents a move away from the rendered Italianate expression favoured in Victoria for hotel design and a change in the characteristic corner location. The former Royal Hotel is one of the most richly ornamented and highly mannered examples of red brick hotels in Victoria. Noteworthy features include the elaborate and picturesque treatment of its parapeted gables; twin-arched doors flanking a wider arched bar window with coloured glass; stylised columns; carved scrolls, garlands and pilaster capitals with cherub faces; and elaborate, iron balconettes with Art Nouveau-inspired sunflower motifs. Much of the original internal fabric remains, although hotel elements such as bars have been removed. The original billiard room retains its patterned lantern roof and round, porthole-like windows which pivot open. Other original elements include architraves and the central stair, although the last flight has been altered.

The former Royal Hotel is of historical significance for its associations with the slum abolition movement of the 1930s. It was cited in the First Progress Report of the Housing Investigation and Slum Abolition Board in 1937 as one of the most notorious and squalid examples of a de-licensed hotel used for boarding-house accommodation. Built as superior hotel accommodation and described in the contemporary press as a splendid hotel and an ornament to the town, the building symbolises the rise and decline of a once grand hotel and demonstrates the fate of many de-licensed hotels.

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    • History

      FORMER ROYAL HOTEL - History

      Contextual History:History of Place:
      The 24-room Royal Hotel was built in 1890 by Henry Hick to a design by architect T. Anthoness. The publican Thomas de Wardt had acquired the original Royal Hotel which had been built sometime before 1857 and called for tenders for a new hotel to be built on the same site. The cost was £4900. It comprised a large bar, vestibule hall with tesselated tiles, commercial rooms, a large cellar, staircase hall 12 feet wide, dining room, billiard room, kitchen, serving and scullery, bedrooms and club rooms. It was described in the contemporary press as being a magnificent hotel, one of the best appointed in Mebourne, commanding a splendid view of the bay and surrounding suburbs.

      The hotel was delicensed early in the 20th century and has been used as a boarding house ever since. It was cited in the First Progress Report of the Housing Investigation and Slum Abolition Board in 1937 as one of the most notorious examples of a delicensed hotel being used for boarding-house accommodation: “Several families live here in most squalid conditions, with no cooking facilities except open fireplaces, and most inadequate sanitary conveniences” . The Board described the former hotel as being in a “decadent area”. Such areas, according to the Board, were districts where once fashionable houses had been built, but were by that time in decay after a decline in their social standing. Delicensed hotels invariably were used as low-grade apartment housing.

      Permit Exemptions

      FORMER ROYAL HOTEL - Permit Exemptions

      General Exemptions:

      General exemptions apply to all places and objects included in the Victorian Heritage Register (VHR). General exemptions have been designed to allow everyday activities, maintenance and changes to your property, which don’t harm its cultural heritage significance, to proceed without the need to obtain approvals under the Heritage Act 2017.

      Places of worship: In some circumstances, you can alter a place of worship to accommodate religious practices without a permit, but you must notify the Executive Director of Heritage Victoria before you start the works or activities at least 20 business days before the works or activities are to commence.

      Subdivision/consolidation: Permit exemptions exist for some subdivisions and consolidations. If the subdivision or consolidation is in accordance with a planning permit granted under Part 4 of the Planning and Environment Act 1987 and the application for the planning permit was referred to the Executive Director of Heritage Victoria as a determining referral authority, a permit is not required.

      Specific exemptions may also apply to your registered place or object. If applicable, these are listed below. Specific exemptions are tailored to the conservation and management needs of an individual registered place or object and set out works and activities that are exempt from the requirements of a permit. Specific exemptions prevail if they conflict with general exemptions.

      Find out more about heritage permit exemptions here.

      Specific Exemptions:

      EXEMPTIONS FROM PERMITS:
      (Classes of works or activities which may be undertaken without a permit under
      Part 4 of the Heritage Act 1995)

      General Conditions:
      1. All exempted alterations are to be planned and carried out in a manner
      which prevents damage to the fabric of the registered place or object.
      2. Should it become apparent during further inspection or the carrying out of
      alterations that original or previously hidden or inaccessible details of the
      place or object are revealed which relate to the significance of the place or
      object, then the exemption covering such alteration shall cease and the
      Executive Director shall be notified as soon as possible.
      3. If there is a conservation policy and plan approved by the Executive
      Director, all works shall be in accordance with it.
      4. Nothing in this declaration prevents the Executive Director from amending
      or rescinding all or any of the permit exemptions.
      5. Nothing in this declaration exempts owners or their agents from the
      responsibility to seek relevant planning or building permits from the
      responsible authority where applicable.

      Exterior:
      * Minor repairs and maintenance which replace like with like.
      * Removal of extraneous items such as air conditioners, pipe work, ducting,
      wiring, antennae, aerials etc, and making good.
      * Installation or repair of damp-proofing by either injection method or
      grouted pocket method.
      * Regular garden maintenance.

      Interior:
      * Painting of previously painted walls and ceilings provided that preparation
      or painting does not remove evidence of the original paint or other decorative
      scheme.
      * Removal of paint from originally unpainted or oiled joinery, doors,
      architraves, skirtings and decorative strapping.
      * Installation, removal or replacement of carpets and/or flexible floor
      coverings.
      * Installation, removal or replacement of curtain track, rods, blinds and
      other window dressings.
      * Installation, removal or replacement of hooks, nails and other devices for
      the hanging of mirrors, paintings and other wall mounted artworks.
      * Refurbishment of bathrooms, toilets and/or en suites including removal,
      installation or replacement of sanitary fixtures and associated piping,
      mirrors, wall and floor coverings.
      * Installation, removal or replacement of kitchen benches and fixtures
      including sinks, stoves, ovens, refrigerators, dishwashers etc and associated
      plumbing and wiring.
      * Installation, removal or replacement of ducted, hydronic or concealed
      radiant type heating provided that the installation does not damage existing
      skirtings and architraves and provided that the location of the heating unit
      is concealed from view.
      * Installation, removal or replacement of electrical wiring provided that all
      new wiring is fully concealed and any original light switches, pull cords,
      push buttons or power outlets are retained in-situ. Note: if wiring original
      to the place was carried in timber conduits then the conduits should remain
      in-situ.
      * Installation, removal or replacement of bulk insulation in the roof space.
      * Installation, removal or replacement of smoke detectors.

Public contributions

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