Historical information

Victorian Heritage Register (VHR) Number H1770

Significance

The former Royal Hotel was built in 1890 following the demolition of an earlier building on the site. Publican Thomas de Wardt had the new hotel built by Henry Hick to a design by architect T Anthoness. It was de-licensed early in the 20th century and has been used as a boarding house ever since. The three-storeyed, red brick and stucco building is designed in the Anglo-Dutch (Queen Anne) revival style. The highly mannered facade, characterised by Flemish gables and a central bay surmounted by a rectangular brick panel and adorned with a cement garland, features distinctive stucco ornament.

Physical description

Undated photograph shows the former Royal Hotel which is located at 85 Nelson Place.
This building was designed by T Athoness and constructed by Henry Hick in 1890, and replaced the previous building which was opened in 1852. The grander scale of the new Royal Hotel responded to new licensing laws in 1877 that required hotels to have a minimum of 30 rooms of minimum dimensions to be licenced.