Wool Exchange Hotel
59 Moorabool Street, GEELONG VIC 3220 - Property No 216269
Woolstores Industrial Heritage Area
-
Add to tour
You must log in to do that.
-
Share
-
Shortlist place
You must log in to do that.
- Download report
Statement of Significance
C Listed - Local significance
Statement of Significance
The Wool Exchange Hotel, 59 Moorabool Street, Geelong, has significance as a reasonably externally intact example of the interwar Stripped Classical style. Built in 1927 as a replacement for the earlier Phoenix Hotel, this hotel was designed by the prolific Geelong architects, Laird and Buchan.
The Wool Exchange Hotel, 59 Moorabool Street, is architecturally significant at a LOCAL level. It demonstrates original design qualities of an interwar Stripped Classical style. These qualities include the symmetrical-like composition, having a recessed chamfered corner with flanking regularly arranged bays and a rendered parapet. Other intact or appropriate qualities include the two storey height, brick wall construction, projecting parapet band with stylised roundel motifs and below which are title panels with the names "Wool Exchange Hotel" on the side facades, blind window arcades emphasised by red brick voussoirs and quoinwork, soldier course first floor window heads, incised rectangular panels below the first floor windows and on the bays flanking the arcades, large rendered roundels in the blind arcades, moulded and projecting stringcourse at window head height, plain rendered stringcourse, red brick quoinwork accentuating the corners and edges of the ground and first floor, projecting brick plinth, and the timber framed windows - particularly the timber framed double hung windows.
The Wool Exchange Hotel building, 59 Moorabool Street, is historically significant at a LOCAL level. It is associated with the development of the hotel industry in Geelong from 1927. This building, originally known as the Phoenix Hotel until the 1960s, also has associations with the prolific Geelong architects, Laird and Buchan. The site has associations with some of Geelong's earliest commercial developments. In 1854, the Bank of New South Wales building was erected, and from 1865 this early building became a hotel, soon after named the Phoenix Hotel.
The Wool Exchange Hotel building, 59 Moorabool Street, is socially significant at a LOCAL level. It is recognised and valued by sections of the Geelong community as an important recreational meeting place.
Overall, the Wool Exchange Hotel building, 59 Moorabool Street, is of LOCAL significance.
References
A. Iser, 'The Phoenix Hotel/Wool Exchange Hotel', Conservation Report, School of Architecture & Building, Deakin University, 1990.
Iser cited the following sources:-
W.J. Morrow, 'Geelong Advertiser Index', Geelong Historical Records Centre.
Sands & McDougall Directories of Victoria (various).
Geelong Historical Records Centre.
Buchan Laird and Buchan, Drawings of the Phoenix Hotel, 1930, Geelong Historical Records Centre.
-
-
Wool Exchange Hotel - Physical Description 1
Description
The site at 59 Moorabool Street, Geelong, is dominated by the two storey Wool Exchange Hotel, which makes an important architectural and visual contribution to the amenity of the area.
The two storey, unpainted dichromatic brick, interwar Stripped Classical Wool Exchange Hotel building is characterised by a symmetrical-like composition, having a recessed chamfered corner with flanking regularly arranged bays and a rendered parapet.
The parapet has a projecting band with stylised roundel motifs, below which are the titles: "Wool Exchange Hotel" and "Tabaret" on the side and corner parapets respectively.
A feature of the first floor is the blind window arcades on the side elevations. These arcades are emphasised by the red brick voussoirs and quoinwork, against the darker brick wall. Further decorative brickwork is evident in the soldier course window heads and in the incised rectangular panels below the first floor windows. Accentuating the streamlined Classicism of the design are the large rendered roundels in the blind arcades. These arcades also interrupt a moulded and projecting stringcourse at window head height. The corner and end bays flanking the arcades have early incised rectangular panels.
Separating the first floor from the ground floor is a plain rendered stringcourse. Further red brick quoinwork accentuates the corners and edges of the ground floor, above the projecting darker brick plinth.
The windows on both the ground and first floor appear to have timber frames, although most have replaced earlier windows. The timber framed double hung windows on the south elevation of the first floor are early. Another alteration is the aluminium framed and glazed double doors and transom at the corner. This corner is further highlighted by the introduced, arched tubular steel porch. Similar arched roofs are situated on the west and south facades, between which are introduced skillion verandahs having corrugated colorbond roofs and supported by hollow steel columns on concrete pedestals.
Apart from the early parapet signage on the side facades, there is introduced inappropriate signage on the first and second floors which project from the building.
Heritage Study and Grading
Greater Geelong - Geelong City Urban Conservation Study, Volumes 2-5
Author: Graeme Butler
Year: 1991
Grading: CGreater Geelong - Geelong City Urban Conservation Study
Author: Graeme Butler
Year: 1993
Grading: CGreater Geelong - Geelong City 'C' Citations Study
Author: Dr David Rowe
Year: 2002
Grading:
-
-
-
-
-
FORMER GEELONG WOOL EXCHANGEVictorian Heritage Register H0622
-
FORMER SCOTTISH CHIEFS HOTELVictorian Heritage Register H0662
-
CORIO VILLAVictorian Heritage Register H0193
-
-