Historical information

The Ozone Hotel was formerly the Grand Ozone Coffee Palace which was erected in 1890 at a cost of around ten thousand pounds. Coffee Palaces were temperance hotels which were popular in the latter part of the 19th century which offered recreation and superior accommodation. The coffee palace operated until 1915 and was then closed before re-opening in 1920 as Hotels Mansions. It had major renovations including a large theatre area. February 23rd 1929 saw the most spectacular fire in Warrnambool's history when the Hotel mansions was burnt to the ground. Evelyn O'Brien was granted a temporary licence and in September 1930 she was given permission to rebuild. The new hotel named Hotel Warrnambool was opened in March 1931. The name plate is visible in photographs of the original Directors of the Grand Ozone. Mrs Lilias Euphemia Thom was a licensee of the Ozone hotel from 1907-1910.

Significance

A link to a significant part of Warrnambool's streetscape and grand buildings.

Physical description

Marble name plate Ozone Hotel, with a shallow decorative groove 30mm in from edge, 4 mounting holes in each corner, an inscription L E Thom has 6 holes in lower portion perhaps used to attach the name of subsequent licensees.

Inscriptions & markings

Ozone Hotel
L E Thom