Queen's Head Hotel

STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE

The hotel building at 97-99 Ryrie Street, Geelong, has significance as a reasonably intact example of the interwar Art Deco/Modern style. Built originally in 1852 and with alterations in c.1938, the two storey building has a long history as a hotel building and continues to serve this purpose today.

The hotel building at 97-99 Ryrie Street is architecturally significant at a LOCAL level. It demonstrates original design qualities of an interwar Art Deco/Modern style. These qualities include the streamlined rectilinear wall plane that is accentuated by the emphatic stepped vertical brick articulation at the western end, three bayed first floor composition of window openings, projecting flat first floor window head with parallel line motif on the ends, austere parapet line, portal opening now blocked up, and the projecting cantilevered verandah that also has parallel line motifs on its ends. Other intact or appropriate qualities include the double ground floor doorway opening with smoothly rusticated and curved corner, ground floor window and door openings, hipped roof form behind the parapet with lapped galvanised corrugated iron roof cladding, and the rear two storey 19th century hipped roof wings with galvanised corrugated iron roof cladding, brick wall construction and timber framed double hung windows.

The hotel building at 97-99 Ryrie Street is historically significant at a LOCAL level. It is associated with commercial and hotel developments in Geelong from the mid 19th century and during the interwar c.1920s1940s until the present day. In particular, this building has associations with John Olive, original owner in c.1852-54 when a Queens Head Hotel was known at this location. The current building exterior survives from the interwar 1920s1940s period.

Overall, the hotel building at 97-99 Ryrie Street is of LOCAL significance.

References

References Reports and Drainage Plans, Barwon Water profis system, 1918, 1960, 1972, 1995.

Voters Roll, Kardinia Ward, 1992, Geelong Historical Records Centre.

Electoral Roll, Division Corio, Subdivision Geelong, 1984, Geelong Historical Records Centre.

Sands & McDougalls Directory of Geelong, 1972, Geelong Historical Records Centre.

Sands & McDougall "Invicta" Geelong Directory, 1968, Geelong Historical Records Centre.

Geelong City Council Rate Books (Villamanta Ward), 18541960.

Geelong Town Plan 1858, Geelong Historical Records Centre.

Morrow, W.J., Index to the Geelong Advertiser, 1850-1866, and 1888, Geelong Historical Records Centre.

Investigator, Journal of the Geelong Historical Society, December, 1982, Geelong Historical Records Centre.

Morrow, W.J., and Wynd, I., Geelong Hotels and their Licences, 1996, Geelong Historical Records Centre.

Group

Commercial

Category

Hotel