Local Government
Albany
Region
Great Southern
194-208 York St Albany
Albany
Great Southern
Type | Status | Date | Documents |
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Heritage List | Adopted | 27 Oct 2020 |
Type | Status | Date | Documents |
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(no listings) |
Type | Status | Date | Grading/Management | |
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Category | ||||
Statewide Hotel Survey | Completed | 01 Nov 1997 | ||
Local Heritage Survey | Adopted | 27 Oct 2020 | Considerable | |
Municipal Inventory | Adopted | 30 Jun 2001 | Category B |
Premier Hotel has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons: The place is associated with many well-known and prominent local citizens of Albany including Thomas Place, Richard Burridge, W. A. Shurer, and architects J. C. Smith and W. Harry Jefferis, and was the location of the first meeting of the Albany Roads Board. The place was the third hotel built in Albany and has been an established part of Albany social life for more than a century. The place is one of a group of significant buildings in York Street containing a diverse range of architecture predominantly in the Federation and Inter-War styles which together have formed the main commercial and civic heart of Albany next to Stirling Terrace Precinct and with important views to Princess Royal Harbour.
Some of the notable features of this place include: • Prominent corner location in York St, in the centre of the Albany business district • Painted brick with corrugated iron roof • Rectangularity of façade emphasised by squared off parapet (not original) • Prominent corner door • Arched windows on both levels • A series of chimneys with moulded capping Some obvious modifications include: • Single storey addition to the north • Two storey timber verandah removed and replaced with cantilevered flat roof canopy • Angled shutters on windows facing York St
The Premier Hotel, built in 1891, was the third hotel built in Albany and has been an established part of Albany social life for more than a century. Only two of the original 3 hotels remain, the other being the Albany Hotel, which was previously the Freemason’s Hotel. Minutes of the Albany Roads Board indicate that the first meeting of the Board was held in the dining room of the Premier Hotel in 1896. The hotel was two storey with a decorative parapet bearing the name of the hotel and its date of construction “Premier 1891 Hotel”. The proprietor of the hotel from 1895-1906 was Thomas Place who was also a Councilor of the Albany Municipal Council. Place left Albany for Adelaide in 1906. The next proprietor was Marcus Anthony O’Grady who added a “capacious” balcony and verandah to the building, and carried out extensive alterations internally including installing a newly fitted lounge bar which opened in 1909. (Albany Advertiser 3/4/1909) In 1912, Richard R. Burridge acquired the hotel. O'Grady was still the licensee at this time, but Mr I. G. Boyle soon took over. In 1913, Burridge engaged the architect Mr J. C. Smith, from Perth, to enlarge and renovate the hotel. The result was almost a complete re-modelling of the original hotel building, as reported in the Albany Advertiser: The house has been doubled in size, doors and passages have been widened, windows and doors have been closed and new ones substituted for them, and, indeed, such alterations have been made as to justify the statement that the building as it stands is a new one…Within the entrance there is a roomy lounge, from which a handsome staircase leads to the floor above. There is a panelled ceiling and rich wall covering to make this retreat attractive. The dining room measures 36ft by 18ft and a second dining room is provided for children. (Albany Advertiser 8/10/1913, p. 3) J. C. Smith designed several other new buildings in Albany including residences such as Merfield’s House in Serpentine Road, as well as renovations and alterations such as for Barnett’s store on Stirling Terrace. The verandah was also extended to wrap around from the front to the end of the Grey Street elevation “…making a splendid promenade, 275 feet in extent”. (Albany Advertiser 8/10/1913) The original front (west) parapet was squared off and extended along the north elevation following the new verandah. The date of these additions “1913” was inscribed on the west facing first floor façade. The hotel was modernised with all the latest conveniences with regards the kitchen, bathrooms and lavatories, and some of the bedrooms had private sitting-rooms. Burridge died in 1928 and the hotel was auctioned the following year. It was purchased by William Harper for £6,550, who also then held the license for the Freemason's Hotel in Stirling Terrace. When Harper purchased the hotel it was advertised as having 20 bedrooms, a sitting and dining room, offices and two large bar areas. In 1930 the hotel was put on the market. A description in the Albany Advertiser notes the hotel had 26 bedrooms, bars, dining room, commercial rooms, bathrooms, hot water service and electric light and was also now sewered throughout. In 1936, the hotel was sold to Mr W. A. Schurer, who at one time owned the London Hotel and was also a councillor on the Albany Town Council. Shurer engaged local architect W. Harry Jefferis to draw up alterations to the hotel. (Albany Advertiser 15/10/1936) In 1950, Shurer sold the hotel to the Swan Brewery, as well as several of the adjacent shops. In 1955 the hotel opened Albany’s first ever beer garden. In the 1950s/60s the two storey verandah was removed and replaced with a flat roofed cantilevered awning typical of this period. In 2016, the hotel was damaged by a deliberately lit fire, with the main damage to the interior. In 2019 conservation works commenced to restore the hotel.
Integrity: High Authenticity: Moderate
Fair
Name | Type | Year From | Year To |
---|---|---|---|
W Harry Jefferis | Architect | - | - |
J C Smith | Architect | - | - |
Ref ID No | Ref Name | Ref Source | Ref Date |
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Heritage Database | City of Albany | 1994 | |
L Johnson; "Town of Albany Heritage Survey". | City of Albany | 1994 | |
Heritage TODAY Site visit and Assessment | 1999 | ||
R Apperly, R Irving, P Reynolds; "A Pictorial Guide ot Identifying Australian Architecture". | Angus and Robertson NSW | 1989 |
Individual Building or Group
Epoch | General | Specific |
---|---|---|
Present Use | COMMERCIAL | Hotel, Tavern or Inn |
Original Use | COMMERCIAL | Hotel, Tavern or Inn |
Type | General | Specific |
---|---|---|
Roof | METAL | Corrugated Iron |
Wall | BRICK | Common Brick |
General | Specific |
---|---|
OCCUPATIONS | Hospitality industry & tourism |
This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.