Historical information

This booklet was produced for Thomas Randall, the proprietor of the Ozone Hotel, Warrnambool, situated at the corner of Kepler and Koroit Streets. It was a publicity booklet given out gratis to prospective clients of the hotel. The Ozone Hotel was originally called the Grand Ozone Coffee Palace and opened in 1890 as a temperance hotel, a splendid building with over 100 rooms. In December 1891 the Coffee Palace was granted a Colonial Wine Licence and in 1895 it was re-named the Ozone Hotel. Thomas Randall was the proprietor from 1894 to 1907. In 1920 the Ozone Hotel, after being closed for some time, was re-opened as the Hotel Mansions and a full liquor licence was obtained in 1923. In 1929 the building was burnt down and the present- day Hotel Warrnambool was built on the site.

Significance

This booklet is of great significance as it documents the splendor of the Warrnambool Ozone Hotel when it was at its best. This building is regarded as the finest and most elegant building ever built in Warrnambool and this booklet contains the only photographs we have of the interior of a 19th century/early 20th century hotel building in Warrnambool. This booklet is also of interest as it belonged to Henri Worland, the Town Clerk of Warrnambool from 1918 to 1949 and Warrnambool’s best-known historian.

Physical description

This is a soft cover booklet of 64 pages. The cover is blue-grey and has an image of a sailing ship, the logo of the Warrnambool Ozone Hotel and some ornamental scrolls. The printing on the front cover is blue. The back cover has two advertisements for Melbourne businesses. The booklet is stapled and bound with purple tape. The booklet contains black and white advertisements for Warrnambool and Melbourne businesses, an article on the town of Warrnambool and black and white photographs of Warrnambool and district and of the interior and exterior of the Ozone Hotel. Most of the pages contain some ornamental patterns. The front cover is a little ragged and torn.

Inscriptions & markings

Signature of H.Worland on the front cover and on the first inside page.