Royal Mail Hotel
288-90 Albert Street, SEBASTOPOL VIC 3356 - Property No 2000392
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Statement of Significance
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Royal Mail Hotel - Physical Description 1
The Royal Mail Hotel is a red brick building with complex hipped roofs hidden behind the front parapet, located on a corner site. At the north rear is a residence, now integrated into the hotel. On the south side are a modern drive-in bottle shop and smokers' area built up against the wall of the hotel.
The entire building is clad in hard red bricks, dating to the 1924 post-fire reconstruction. The extremely complex array of hipped roofs, however, suggests that some of the earlier structure (most likely the L-shaped section along the two street fronts) was incorporated into the present building, though no pre-1920s chimneys survive.
The facade, facing Albert Street, is quite long. Its dominant feature is the parapet, which shows both the influence of the Federation Free Classical style as well as geometric tendencies characteristic of the 1920s. At the centre of the parapet is a short reverse arched panel of roughcast render, with a raised date ('1924'). To either side are long panels, bracketed by short piers and geometric scrolls carried out in render. A rendered cornice divides the parapet from a rendered band displaying the hotel's name ('Royal Mail'), also in raised and slightly stylised lettering.
The brickwork of the facade is tuckpointed, and the windows and doors have cement-rendered lintels (overpainted). The window sills are of bullnose brick, as are the reveals of the two original (southern) doorways. The doorways have bluestone sills, one of which retains a triangular mason's mark. The large southernmost window was once divided into six fixed panes (indicated by scars). The three other windows to this elevation are one-over-one double-hung sashes.
The parapet slopes down and terminates on the south elevation, facing Queen Street, leaving the corrugated-iron clad hipped roof visible. The bricks of this, and the other minor elevations, are not tuckpointed. This elevation, while largely concealed by modern accretions, retains the only original external door identified (a ledged door, cut down and windows inserted), as well as original hatch doors to the cellar (also cut down), and unpainted cement render lintels to the door and a window - indicating their original appearance.
The north elevation has an identical termination to the front parapet, revealing a number of hipped roofs and 1920s chimneys (red brick with a soldier course at the top). At the rear of this section is the former residence, which has a pyramidal hipped roof and appears to date from the 1920s. This building has since been linked to the hotel by a gabled link. The walls have been rendered, covering the face brick.
The interior has been extensively remodelled. The only early element identified is an arched brick fireplace of c1924 in the dining room.
Heritage Study and Grading
Ballarat - Sebastopol Heritage Study (Stage 2)
Author: Context Pty Ltd
Year: 2015
Grading: Local
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