Hostel Milligan, Perth

Parent Place or Precinct

15846 Central Perth Precinct

Physical Description

Hostel Milligan, Perth comprises two distinct sections dating from two different eras: the 1887 two storey brick former house to the rear of the site and the enveloping two storeys 1930 commercial and residential section which extends around the Milligan and Murray Street frontages and obscures the majority of the former house from view.

Hostel Milligan, Perth is situated on the south west corner of Milligan and Murray Streets, opposite the WD & HO Wills building on the north west corner of the same junction, the former ANZ Bank building on the south-east corner and a further single storey Art Deco inspired building on the north-east corner, located to the west of the main central area of Perth city.

History

Hostel Milligan, Perth, comprises a two storey brick and iron building (1887) in the Victorian Regency style which functions as a residential hotel, and which was adapted in 1930 as commercial premises by two storey additions displaying elements of the Inter-War Art Deco style. The place is located in a prominent position at the junction of Murray and Milligan streets in the central Perth business district.

The discovery of gold in the Kimberley, Murchison and the Yilgarn regions of Western Australia in the 1880s and 1890s, had a dramatic impact on the development of Perth. An increase in population due to gold rush immigration and the subsequent rise in economic prosperity saw the physical nature of the city change dramatically. By the turn of the twentieth century, Perth had transformed into a city of streets lined with elaborate architect designed multi-storey buildings.3 The opening of the Fremantle-Guildford Railway and the construction of Central Perth Station on the northern side of Wellington Street in 1881, initiated further development of the city centre, particularly on the northern side of the city close to the railway station. Insurance buildings and commercial offices were constructed along St George’s Terrace, and businesses, shops and warehouses were established in Murray, Hay and Wellington Streets.4 The prominent citizens of Perth lived predominantly in St Georges Terrace and Adelaide Terrace with West Perth gaining in popularity late in the 19th century.

Integrity/Authenticity

High

Condition

Poor

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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Last Update

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