Royal Standard Hotel (fmr)

Statement of Significance

Hotel Northbridge (former Royal Standard Hotel) is a pattern book plain Queen Anne style hotel of the period. There were numerous comparable examples in suburban and provincial locations. It dates from the period of hotel building in the suburb, which coincided with the early Gold Boom and the suburban developments north of Perth, such as the nearby Brookman/Moir precinct. The hotel has provided continuous hospitality services since its establishment and its pattern of ownership and operation has reflected that of suburban hotels.

Physical Description

The two storey brick rendered building wraps the corner and features two gables on the Brisbane Street frontage. It has retained the original form but has had substantial modifications to its façade. Recent renovations (1996) removed many original openings and replicated the original two storey verandah. Zero setback to both streets and truncated corner. Façade treatment, reinstated verandah, interior layout.

History

Hotel Northbridge was originally known as the Royal Standard Hotel. The property appears on the 1897 PWD sewerage plans and is listed in the 1898 City of Perth rate books. It was situated on Perth Town Lot N88, on the corner of Lake, Brisbane and Amy streets. The Hotel Northbridge was established at the same time as the Colonial Finance Company's residential estate on Brookman, Moir and Lake streets. The general area was undergoing rapid residential and commercial development in the late 1890s. The place was under the ownership of Frederick Lee, a grocer, in 1898. (He is listed as being on the corner of Lake and Brisbane Streets in the 1897 Wise's Post Office Directories but not in the 1898 or 1899 ones. In 1898 Charles Robinson was replaced as the publican by Robert A. Carmichael. The Directories for 1900 list storekeeper Samuel T. McKeown at the street address, indicating that there was at least one shop space as part of the hotel building at this time. The City of Perth rate books indicate that in 1909 the shop was owned by Francis Nellie Timpel and operated by Florence Craib. In 1915, hairdresser Jack Pope occupied the shop and Thomas Heale was the licensee of the hotel. The hotel was owned by the Swan Brewery Co. Ltd at this time. The verandahs of the hotel were removed at some time, possibly during the general upgrading of existing hotels that took place in the late 1920s and 1930s, when the removal of verandahs was seen as giving buildings a sleek, modern look. Alternatively, they may have been removed in the 1940s or '50s, when the City council required the replacement of verandahs with awnings, as verandah posts were considered a hazard with more motor vehicles on the roads. It is believed that some of the proceeds from WA's famous 'Golden Eagle' nugget (the largest recorded in WA) found at Larkinville by J.J. Larcombe and his son in January 1931, were used for the hotel and they may have been used to fund these changes. The verandahs were reinstated in 1999 by the current owner, in keeping with current trends of nostalgia for old buildings. The hotel purchased the right-of-way in 1992 and in 1993 permission was granted to use it as an outdoor eating area (an extension to an existing restaurant), closing at 9 pm. However, an application to change this area to a public bar drinking area in 2001 was refused. Other alterations were made to the building in 2005 to open up the interior to cater for modern entertainments needs. The bar was refurbished in 2005 and approval was given to the hotel's manager, Timothy Leech, for alfresco dining along the Lake and Brisbane street footpaths within a limited area after a successful three-month trial period. Following the period of redevelopment '“ a $7 million dollar upgrade - between 1995 and 2005, the Northbridge Hotel re-emerged as the Hotel Northbridge. In 2006 further changes were made to the bar areas which included a wine cellar and to the kitchen with the addition of a pizza oven. In 2008 this 'boutique' hotel had a four-star rating. The accommodation areas included 49 suites and three penthouse suites; there were three bars and a restaurant; and there was also a function room which could accommodate 180 guests and a boardroom which could be booked.

Integrity/Authenticity

Moderate - externallyLow/moderate - internally

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.