Criterion Hotel, Warwick facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Criterion Hotel, Warwick |
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Criterion Hotel, 2020
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| Location | 84 Palmerin Street, Warwick, Southern Downs Region, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1914 - 1919 (World War I) |
| Built | 1917 - 1917 |
| Architect | Dornbusch & Connolly |
| Official name: Criterion Hotel | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 21 October 1992 |
| Reference no. | 600962 |
| Significant period | 1910s (fabric) 1917-ongoing (historical use) |
| Significant components | lead light/s, shop/s, furniture/fittings |
| Builders | Connolly & Bell |
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The Criterion Hotel is a historic hotel located at 84 Palmerin Street in Warwick, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Dornbusch & Connolly and built in 1917 by Connolly & Bell. This beautiful brick building is an important part of Warwick's history. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992, meaning it is officially protected as a heritage site.
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History of the Criterion Hotel
This two-storey brick hotel stands out on Palmerin Street, which is the main street of Warwick. It was built in 1917 for the Allman family. Before this grand building, a smaller, single-storey wooden hotel stood on the same spot. That older hotel, also called the Criterion, had been there since the 1860s.
The Allman family took over the hotel in 1887. Jeremiah Allman, who was born in Ireland, came to Australia in the 1860s. He became a hotel owner in Stanthorpe before moving to Warwick. He married Mary Dwan, who was already running a hotel in Warwick.
Jeremiah Allman was also very involved in Warwick's growth. He was elected an alderman (a local council member) for the Warwick Town Council in 1886. He served on the council until 1903 and was even the Mayor of Warwick twice, in 1895 and 1902. This shows how important he was to the town.
After Mary Allman passed away, Jeremiah married Catherine King, also known as Kate. In 1908, the hotel's license was given to Kate Allman. Jeremiah Allman died in 1910. The hotel then passed to his son Daniel and other family members. The Allman family owned other hotels in Warwick during this time too.
Building the New Hotel
The plans for a new, brick Criterion Hotel were first announced in 1912. Then again in 1916. The old wooden hotel was taken down in early 1917 to make room for the new, much grander building.
By March 1917, the new hotel was being built. People noticed how much this "big structure" changed the look of Palmerin Street. It was designed with "modern methods" and was expected to be "one of the most imposing and finest hotels in the State." The builders for this impressive project were Messrs Connolly and Bell.
The new hotel also had shops on the ground floor, on either side of the main entrance. By July 1917, these shops were ready for rent. The hotel stayed with the Allman family until 1968. Since then, it has had several owners. The current owners bought it in 1989. They made some changes, like updating the main bar area.
What the Hotel Looks Like
The Criterion Hotel is a two-storey building made of brick. Its main front, called the facade, faces Palmerin Street. This long front has a two-storey verandah that runs along its entire length. A decorative wall, called a parapet, sits above the verandah. In the middle of this wall, you can see the hotel's name and the year it was built, 1917.
Behind the parapet, the roof is made of corrugated iron. The hotel has a main section and three other sections that stretch out behind it. On the ground floor facing the street, there are several fancy entrances. These lead to different parts of the hotel, including shops and the main hotel areas.
Verandah Details
The verandah has strong timber posts that are grouped in pairs at the ends and in the middle. Between these posts, on both levels, there are arched wooden decorations. The upper level has a cast iron fence, called a balustrade, with a pretty clover leaf design. The underside of the verandah roof is covered with ripple iron. The verandah roof itself is bull-nosed (curved) and has a small gabled entrance porch in the middle.
Outside Walls and Windows
The outside walls are made of unpainted brick. However, the front of the hotel has painted plaster decorations. The windows and doors on the ground floor are decorated with moulded plaster arches. These arches have special "keystones" (wedge-shaped stones at the top of an arch) and decorative ledges. Flat, decorative columns, called pilasters, separate the openings.
You can enter the hotel through several doors. There are entrances for shops, the Public Bar, and the main Stair Hall. The entrance to the Stair Hall has a floor made of small, patterned tiles. Many of the main bedrooms on the first floor open onto the verandah.
Inside the Hotel
The Public Bar has a beautiful bar made of silky oak wood. It has a curved middle section and mirrored shelves behind it. The bar also features colourful leadlight windows. Look up in the Public Bar, and you'll see a special pressed metal ceiling. It has a unique design that includes the face of the "Virgin Mary."
The main Stair Hall has several decorative plaster arches. The polished cedar staircase is very grand. It has carved newel posts (the main posts at the top and bottom of a staircase) and a panelled spandrel (the triangular space under the stairs). The staircase turns in a "dog-legged" shape, and there are more leadlight windows on the landing.
From the Stair Hall, you can go into the Lounge Bar. This bar is similar to the Public Bar. It also has a pressed metal ceiling with decorative borders and patterns. Beyond the Lounge Bar is the Bistro area, which also has a beautiful pressed metal ceiling. From here, French doors lead out to a lovely beer garden courtyard.
The hotel still has many of its original wooden features inside, including the main staircase. It also has a wide variety of pressed metal ceilings, like the unusual "Virgin Mary" design in the Public Bar.
Why the Hotel is Heritage Listed
The Criterion Hotel was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992. This means it's considered very important because of its history and special features.
- It shows how Queensland's history developed: The hotel was rebuilt in 1917. This shows how much building activity was happening in Warwick in the early 1900s. Many shops and hotels were being rebuilt or updated then. The hotel is also connected to the Allman family, who owned other hotels and helped develop Warwick from the 1880s.
- It shows what a hotel from that time was like: The hotel still has many of its original wooden details inside. It also has a wide range of interesting pressed metal ceilings. These features help us understand how hotels were designed and decorated back then.
- It is beautiful and important to the area: The hotel is in a very noticeable spot in Warwick's business centre. This large brick hotel adds a lot to the look of Palmerin Street and the whole town of Warwick.
