Union Hotel
11 STURT STREET, BALLARAT CENTRAL - PROPERTY NUMBER 2030704, BALLARAT CITY
Lydiard Street Heritage Precinct
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Statement of Significance
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Union Hotel - Physical Description 1
The Union.Hotel was built by J.Retallack in 1863 who previously had owned and presumably operated a blacksmith's forge on this site. The building is of an exceptionally pleasing composition. It employs Tuscan Doric engaged columns and pilasters at first floor level and slender Corinthian pilasters to the fi.st and second floors. The building is a composition in five bays, at the first floor level two side bays contain elaborate and interesting relief panels, with central French doors and flanking matching windows. Originally there was a flat open decked verandah with balustrades. At second floor level there are five delicate arched windows. The top floor is surmounted by a balustraded parapet flanking a large name plate. With the exception of the verandah and ground floor doors and windows, the building is externally intact. The building is of major importance as a building type of the late gold rush period that has virtually disappeared, this apparently being the only survivor.
Union Hotel - Intactness
INTACTNESS: verandah removed
Union Hotel - Physical Description 2
The first licence for a Union Hotel was issued in .1851, but the hotel would appear to have been on a different site or lapsed before 1862, as the Council Valuation Book for that year gives the owner of the site as J.Retallack and n Blacksmith operated on the site. In 1863 J.Retallack still owned the site but a brick hotel had been constructed, operated by W.Laurence. The hotel has operated without a change of name since that time.
This building is an exceptionally pleasing Renaissance derived composition. At ground floor level, in a Tuscan Doric order, are a pair of engaged columns flanking the central entrance with a pair of pilasters flanking the two narrow side openings. There are central French doors at the first .floor, designed to open onto a deck over the verandah which has since been demolished. This open deck was originally surrounded with a decorative balustrade in a similar manner to. the Club Hotel, Clunes. This was apparently an American innovation, at one time quite widespread in Ballarat, as indicated by early photographs and a number of central French doors in existing buildings in Bridge and Sturt Streets.
A pair of windows flank the central French doors, which they are designed to match. In the narrow end bays are interesting decorative panels in relief of urns, foliage and putti. The windows and doors are surmounted by masks and the bays are defined. by Corinthian pilasters. In the upper floor, delicate arched windows are placed in all five bays, defined by another order of Corinthian pilasters below a bracketted cornice. The parapet is finished. with a balustraded parapet flanking a large name plate above which is a small date plate marked 1863. There is a gabled glass roof lantern located above the stairs, clearly visible from 5turt Street.
The building is externally intact but the ground floor interior has been extensively altered.
In summary a strong, elegant, vertical emphasis is produced by the first and second floor openings and the orders of Corinthian pilasters. The relief panels are of an interesting design, characteristic of this early period.
The building is of state-wide importance as apparently the only surviving example of this style of hotel building of this period; the early part of Craig's Hotel is contemporary to this building, but is of a completely different design.
In addition this is a particularly elegant building of a most attractive design which immediately evokes the atmosphere of' the late gold rush period in Ballarat.
Heritage Study and Grading
Ballarat - Ballarat Conservation Study
Author: Jacobs Lewis Vines Architects
Year: 1978
Grading:
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SYNAGOGUEVictorian Heritage Register H0106
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FORMER BALLARAT EAST FREE LIBRARYVictorian Heritage Register H1493
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FORMER POLICE STATION, BALLARATVictorian Heritage Register H1544
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"1890"Yarra City
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"AMF Officers" ShedMoorabool Shire
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"AQUA PROFONDA" SIGN, FITZROY POOLVictorian Heritage Register H1687
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'CARINYA' LADSONS STOREVictorian Heritage Register H0568
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1 Alexander StreetYarra City
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1 Botherambo StreetYarra City
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