This building dated back to the 1880s and had previously operated as Delany's Hotel and then the Royal Hotel. It was built near the site of the original Delany's Hotel, built in 1856. The Royal Hotel closed in 1921 after the area voted to be a 'dry area' in the local option poll. Tower House Day and Boarding School operated from 1921 until 1932. Norman Carter took many photos of Surrey Hills and Mont Albert from the 1920s; many were associated with events and activities of the Church of England.Black and white photo of a partially demolished building. The roof and part of the second storey are missing. What remains indicates that it has been a large building in the Victorian style. Along one side at ground level there are 4 arches, perhaps entry to a covered veranda, above which is a colonnade, and perhaps an open veranda on the upper level. There is a mixture of treatments to the surrounds of the windows. On the corner, within an arch which may have once been a doorway, is a sign reading: "TOWER HOUSE / DAY / & / BOARDING SCHOOL". There is a car with a retractable hood in the lower RH Corner of the photo.Rear top centre in blue biro "1932" (crossed out); top RH corner "498" in red biro; centre "Demolition of / Tower House Day & Boarding / cr Canterbury & Broughton Rds / previously Tower House Hotel / originally Royal Hotel / See partner photo."; bottom RH cnr "demol (in red biro) / 20-8-32". All in Jocelyn Hall's handwriting.tower house day and boarding school, schools, education, royal hotel, hotels, construction and demolition, dry area, licensing polls, temperance movement, delany's hotel, norman carter

This building dated back to the 1880s and had previously operated as Delany's Hotel and then the Royal Hotel. It was built near the site of the original Delany's Hotel, built in 1856. The Royal Hotel closed in 1921 after the area voted to be a 'dry area'. Tower House Day and Boarding School operated from 1921 until 1932. Norman Carter took many photos of Surrey Hills and Mont Albert from the 1920s; many were associated with events and activities of the Church of England.Black and white photo of a partially demolished building. The roof is missing and there is a pile of rubble along the front wall. What remains indicates that it has been a large building in the Victorian style. There is a mixture of treatments to the surrounds of the windows. On the RHS part of a truck can be seen.Original: Top LH corner in blue biro "see matching photo"; top RH corner "498 / spare"; bottom LH corner in lead pencil "N Carter"; bottom RH corner in blue biro "20-8-32" - all Jocelyn Hall's handwriting.tower house day and boarding school, schools, education, royal hotel, hotels, construction and demolition, dry area, licensing polls, temperance movement, delany's hotel, norman carter

Humberstone's Royal Hotel was a substantial 2-storey building on the corner of Canterbury and Broughton Road. The hotel was built in 1887 to replace an older hotel (Delany's Hotel) built further east in 1856. It was de-licensed in 1921 after a "Local Option Poll" and became Tower House Day & Boarding School under Miss Marion Beetson from 1922 until 1932. It was demolished in 1932. There were 25 students in the 1920's, mostly boarders from outside Surrey Hills and all primary school students. The school room was detached from the main building and there was 6 acres of playing area. The old bar was the business office, the girls' dormitory the old dining room. Marion Beetson was the teacher, Mary Beetson managed the household. Their father was an Indian Army officer. The younger children wore a school blazer with the T.H.C. badge on the pocket. Miss Susan Kelsall visited to give piano lessons and Prof. Kelsall taught French. Miss Marion Beetson died in Castlemaine on 8 February 1952. Information courtesy of Mrs Louise Bell, Castlemaine, ex-student. See SHP0867a and SHP0867b, photos of Louisa in T.H.C. uniform. Photograph of line sketch of Humberstone's Royal Hotel, Surrey Hills. In the foreground is a horse and cart with 5 men standing in front of the hotel. Main entrance is on the corner of the intersection with large windows. There are 8 on one side and 3 on the other with 4 arches on both upper and ground floors. Turret style edging hides the rooftop with two chimneys visible. Pencilled on back "Spare - have in/ our photo files"delany's hotel, miss marion beetson, humberstone's royalhotel, surrey hills, canterbury road, broughton road, hotels, accommodation, royal hotel, tower house day and boarding school, 1880-1890, mary beetson