Great Western Hotel
177 Aberdeen Street NEWTOWN, GREATER GEELONG CITY
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Statement of Significance
What is Significant?
The Great Western Hotel, 177 Aberdeen Street, Newtown, has significance as a local heritage landmark in this part of Newtown, and particularly as a moderately intact, austere and yet robust example of interwar hotel design in Geelong. Built in 1925 to a design by the architects, Cleverdon and McLaughlin, the significant fabric includes the two storey hipped roof forms clad in terra cotta tiles, brick chimneys, symmetrical two storey brick facades defined by central and flanking (corner), stepped, parapeted bays articulated with paired brick first floor pilasters featuring soldier-coursed bands and topped with moulded stringcourses, vertically-oriented timber framed double hung windows, bank of three timber framed double hung first floor windows with leadlighting in the central bay of the east facade, parapet signage lettering in the central bay of the east facade, ground floor entrance opening in the central bay of the east facade with vestigial columns in antis (the original door opening has been replaced with a window and brick surround), modest eaves overhangs between the parapeted bays, ground floor window and door openings, projecting moulded stringcourses, and the tiled ground floor dados (but not the overpainting).
How is it significant?
The Great Western Hotel, 177 Aberdeen Street, Newtown, is historically and aesthetically significant at a LOCAL level.
Why is it significant?
The Great Western Hotel, 177 Aberdeen Street, has historical significance for its longstanding associations with hotel operations from 1925, the site being the location of a hotel since 1854 (Criterion A). It also has significance for its associations with the local architects, Cleverdon and McLaughlin, who designed a number of hotels in Geelong in the 1920s (Criterion H). The Great Western Hotel has further associations with the long term owners, Hodges Brothers and Carlton and United Breweries (Criterion H), both of whom held considerable brewing and hotel interests in Geelong and more widely, Victoria, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries (Criterion H).
The Great Western Hotel, 177 Aberdeen Street, has aesthetic significance as a moderately intact, austere and robust example of an interwar suburban hotel in Geelong, and as a local heritage landmark in this part of Newtown (Criteria D & E). This is reflected in the two storey hipped roofed building with parapeted rectangular bays having stepped pilasters and simple detailing. The Great Western Hotel is comparable to other hotels by the architects, Cleverdon and McLaughlin, including the Telegraph Hotel, Geelong West, which is s more streamlined and more overtly Art Deco-inspired in detail. The Great Western Hotel is a more refined example with other comparable Cleverdon-designed hotels, including the De La Ville Hotel, Little Myers Street, and Preston Hotel, Ryrie Street, which were the progenitors to its design.
Heritage Overlay Map
It is recommended that the heritage overlay is applied to the portion of the site at 177 Aberdeen Street containing the two storey hotel building, extending beyond the Title boundaries to the roadside kerbs, as shown on the following map:
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Great Western Hotel - Physical Description 1
The Great Western Hotel, 177 Aberdeen Street, Newtown, is situated on a contextually large site with frontages to Aberdeen Street and Shannon Avenue. The hotel building is situated in the north-east corner, with a large asphalt car park at the rear (west) and side (south).
The two storey, painted brick, interwar hotel building has an original U-planned layout. It is characterised by a principal hipped roof form on a north-south axis with minor hipped wings projecting at the rear. These roofs are clad in terra cotta tiles. There are three original face brick chimneys having soldier-coursed tops and projecting concrete cappings.
The building has a symmetrical composition defined by central and flanking (corner), stepped, parapeted bays articulated with paired brick first floor pilasters featuring soldier-coursed bands and topped with moulded stringcourses. There are original timber framed double hung windows between the pilasters. The wider central parapeted bay on the main (east) elevation is situated above the original main entrance and has an original bank of three timber framed double hung windows with geometric leadlighting. The parapet features early signage lettering. On the ground floor, the original entrance opening is discernible but the original doors have been replaced with a window and brick surrounds although original brick, vestigial columns in antis survive. Between the parapeted bays the main hipped roof projects to form modest eaves overhangs, with three bays of single, timber framed double hung first floor windows below. The ground and first floors are separated by a projecting moulded stringcourse. The ground floor facades have glazed tiled dados with introduced overpainting, and bays of original timber framed windows (arranged off-centre to the first floor windows). The windows at the south end of the east facade are early and double hung, the remainder having upper hopper sashes with some having been altered and/or replaced. There is an early single door opening on the east facade, with another single door opening on the north elevation. This opening appears to have been introduced (as an extension of an original window opening), with two of the ground floor windows on the north facade possibly originally being door openings (as shown in the physical evidence below the windows). The metal letter signage and projecting internally illuminated signage on the first floor facades have been introduced. Overall, the building forms a landmark in this part of Newtown. It is an austere but robust example of interwar hotel design for the period, given the balanced facades, parapeted bays and simple detailing.
To the west and south of the main hotel building are single storey additions. Although these additions are noticeable, the main two storey building is the dominant feature.
Overall, the Great Western Hotel appears to be in good condition when viewed from the street. It has moderate integrity. While the hotel has experienced alterations and additions (mostly notably in the overpainting of the original face brickwork and tiled dado, and the single storey additions on the west and south sides), the original interwar design qualities are clearly discernible.
Heritage Study and Grading
Greater Geelong - Newtown West Heritage Review 2016
Author: D. Rowe & W. Jacobs
Year: 2016
Grading:
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THE HEIGHTSVictorian Heritage Register H0429
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FORMER SHEARERS ARMS HOTELVictorian Heritage Register H0661
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SACRED HEART CONVENT AND COLLEGEVictorian Heritage Register H0555
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