Ballybane Tearooms (fmr)

Parent Place or Precinct

14922 Stirling Terrace Precinct, Albany

Statement of Significance

Stirling Terrace Precinct:

Stirling Terrace Precinct, a predominantly late Victorian and Federation period townscape set along a segmented crescent plan overlooking Princess Royal Harbour, Albany and containing a diverse range of building types and styles, has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons:
the historic precinct is a fine and relatively intact example of a late nineteenth century and early twentieth century townscape, dating primarily from 1867 to 1915, demonstrating a range of activities and support infrastructure associated with the foundation and development of a prominent nineteenth century town;
the historic precinct is rare as a prominently located townscape with a town plan dating from the foundation of the settlement with a set of finely designed Victorian and Federation period buildings;
as the original commercial heart of the town, the historic precinct was an important part of the development of the region and the State to varying degrees from the 1830s until World War One when Albany was a prominent town in the Colony and Australia, due to its role as the Colony’s coal depot for the international mail and passenger service, which linked Europe to the eastern colonies. This role was expanded with the addition of regional railways and interstate telegraph links;
viewed from the harbour and from the western approaches to the town, the historic precinct as a whole is a landmark, strengthened by the strong vertical accents of the Royal George Hotel and the former Post Office;
the historic precinct is highly valued by the local community for its aesthetic values and historic associations and, along with the defining topography of the Princess Royal Harbour, Mount Melville and Mount Clarence, is as one of the elements that contributes to the local community’s sense of place and to the identity of Albany;
within the precinct, G.T. Poole’s designs for the Post Office and Court House demonstrate creative excellence and J.T. Hobbs’ design for the Sandover & Co store, which later became Drew Robinson & Co.’s store, at 108-110 Stirling Terrace makes innovative use of large plate glass windows;
and
the historic precinct includes buildings designed by prominent architects James Manning, Lt. General Sir J. T. Hobbs, J. Herbert Eales, and George T. Poole, and was historically the location of businesses founded and run by significant Albany and regional identities including Thomas Sherratt, Alexander Moir, John Robinson, Charles Drew, Frank Dymes, Edward Barnett, J.F.T. Hassell, and E.G. Everett.

Physical Description

Some of the notable features of this place include:
Single storey
• Inter-War building with Federation influences
• Symmetrical design
• Smooth rendered façade with some adornment
• Parapet wall not quite concealing a hipped corrugated iron roof
• Some elements, such as the parapet wall finishes, emulate the adjacent 1903 two storey building
Two storey
• Smooth rendered façade
• Similar treatment of pillars to single storey building
• Two pairs of windows in second storey finished with fancy architraves
• A pair of tall chimneys with moulded tops
• Parapet wall concealing hipped roof (formerly skillion roof)
Bakehouse
• Set at the rear of Bell’s Hardware
• Small scale single storey structure
• Building fabrics weatherboard and corrugated iron
• Poor condition but still holds one of the original ovens

Some obvious modifications include:
• Signage
• Windows
• External colour scheme

Refer also to: Considine & Griffiths Architects in association with Kris Bizzaca, Stirling Terrace, Albany, Conservation Plan, October 2000.

History

R Bell & Co.
R Bell and Co is a composite business made up from buildings erected over a number of different architectural eras. The first structure on the lots was a bakehouse built in 1887. Johann Greeve and his business partner Johann Muller moved form Hahndorf in South Australia to Albany in 1886. They established a commercial bakehouse in Perth Rd (now Albany Highway) in 1886. In 1887 they relocated the bakery called Backerei und Konditorei to the Stirling Terrace address which was behind their residence and tearooms that they leased from Mrs McKail. The bakehouse had two work areas and ovens to guard against ‘rope’ a pathogen that affects dough. At this stage Muller left to go back to South Australia and Greeve anglicised the business name to Ballybane Tearooms. The McKail estate sold the premises to Gills Knight in 1901 and in 1903 Greeve purchased the property and modernised the whole complex on Lot 37.

Greeve sold the premises in 1923 to Edward Balston a farmer from the Albany district. On his retirement Greeve lived in a home built by Josiah Norman in Aberdeen St. After the bakehouse changed hands it was operated by a number of different bakers including Lord and Day. The bakehouse remained in production until 1961 and after that was used for some time as a bottling plant for wine. In 2000 the bakehouse was in a state of disrepair and used as storage space by Bell’s Hardware. Fabric and fittings of the bakehouse have been preserved including one of the original Metters ovens.

C.H. Neumann, a produce merchant, built the double storey building on the centre block in 1903. In 1905 another part of R Bell and Co was built by Greeves who opened the Ballybane Tearooms on the site of the old tearooms. Another source (Considine & Griffiths) dates the buildings as earlier than 1905, indicating that they could have been the café started as part of Greeve and Muller’s business in 1887 and quoted in an 1889 newspaper advertisement for Greeve’s tea and coffee rooms. Over time the tearooms became very popular. Robert Bell built the single storey place on a vacant block of land in 1921.

In 1994 R. Bell and Co was owned by the partnership of Clem Clementson and Richard Passmore who retained the Bell name and continued in the the old country general store selling liquor, hardware and garden supplies etc. later becoming Makit Hardware store. In 2017 it is still a commercial premise.

Stirling Terrace Precinct
Stirling Terrace is one of the City of Albany’s most significant heritage assets, both as a streetscape and as a collection of Victorian and Federation period buildings overlooking Princess Royal Harbour. Stirling Terrace is located in visually striking topography and its segmented crescent plan form remains basically as it was when first recorded by Surveyor Hillman in 1835. The mature trees and the harmonious architectural composition of diverse building types and styles provide additional visual interest.

Stirling Terrace was developed from the 1830s following the establishment of Albany as part of the Swan River colony, and was an important part of the development of the region and the State to varying degrees from the 1830s until World War One. The 1835 Hillman survey plan set the scene for the emergence of Stirling Terrace as the prime location in the town, with a rich variety of social, commercial, leisure, institutional and service functions. The majority of the built fabric which remains today was completed in the period 1867 to 1915. The buildings were designed by some of the State’s most eminent architects and many were built for prominent citizens and institutions.

Over the years the commercial focus of Albany has moved to York Street, with many institutions, such as banks and the post office relocating there. Free of substantial development pressure at a critical time, Stirling Terrace has managed to retain many of its historic structures and features. Viewed from the harbour, and from the western approach to the town, Stirling Terrace has a landmark quality as a whole.

Refer also to: Considine & Griffiths Architects in association with Kris Bizzaca, Stirling Terrace, Albany, Conservation Plan, October 2000.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: Moderate
Authenticity: High/Moderate

Condition

Good

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Disclaimer

This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.