Royal George Hotel, Albany facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Royal George Hotel |
|
|---|---|
Royal George Hotel Albany in 2006
|
|
| General information | |
| Type | Heritage listed building |
| Location | Albany, Western Australia |
| Coordinates | 35°01′37″S 117°53′11″E / 35.02705°S 117.8865°E |
| Type | State Registered Place |
| Designated | 7 December 2007 |
| Part of | Stirling Terrace Precinct, Albany (14922) |
| Reference no. | 65 |
The Royal George Hotel is a historic building in Albany. It is a hotel today and is listed as a heritage building. This means it is an important old place that needs to be protected. You can find it on Stirling Terrace. It looks out over Princess Royal Harbour. It is also very close to another old hotel, the White Star Hotel.
Contents
About the Building's Look
The Royal George Hotel has three floors. It shows off a style called Victorian Free Classical architecture. This style was popular a long time ago. The building has a front that isn't perfectly even, which is called an asymmetrical façade. It also has columns that are spaced out in a special way.
Details of Its Design
The top two floors of the hotel have painted brick walls. The ground floor also has painted brick. The roof is hidden behind a tall wall called a parapet wall. This wall has fancy decorations. The windows on the ground floor are shaped like arches. A special covered walkway, called a cantilevered box verandah, sticks out from the building. This provides shade and shelter for people below.
A Journey Through Time
The Royal George Hotel was built in 1885. This was a busy time in Western Australia. Thousands of people, called prospectors, were heading to the Kalgoorlie goldfields. They often stopped in Albany on their way. This led to many new buildings being built in Albany.
From House to Hotel
Before the hotel, a house called Aberdeen House stood on this spot. It was built before 1867. Parts of this old house were later used when the hotel was built. In the mid-1880s, Frederick Watts rented the house. He turned it into a hotel. He first named it the Railway Hotel. This was because the Great Southern Railway station was built nearby. By 1892, Charles Bailye took over. He changed the name to the Royal George Hotel.
Hotel Life in the Past
In 1897, Edward Reynolds was in charge of the hotel. It had many rooms for guests and for people to relax in. Behind the hotel, there used to be a fun place called the Cremorne Gardens. These gardens had an outdoor movie theater and even a roller skating rink! Sadly, the gardens are no longer there.
Changes Over the Years
In 1910, the hotel got bigger. A whole new top floor was added. A front balcony with pretty iron designs was also put in. The walls were made of special brickwork. The first floor had many bedrooms and bathrooms. The second floor also had bedrooms and bathrooms. The ground floor was where the bar was located. The original balcony has since been changed. It was replaced with the cantilevered box verandah you see today.
Recent History
In 2005, a small fire happened in one of the rooms. Everyone staying at the hotel had to leave safely. Later, in 2014, the Royal George Hotel received a special grant. This money helped with painting and repairs. This work was part of the Anzac Centenary celebrations.
