Historical information

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.

Physical description

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.

Inscriptions & markings

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.