Grand Hotel

Statement of Significance

Grand Hotel is a representative example of the Federation Filigree style common in the Australian pub tradition as a two-storey hotel with verandahs. The building is an important element of the streetscape of Hannan Street, enhanced by the verandah and balcony that extend over the pavement. Grand Hotel is aesthetically linked to the Exchange Hotel, Australia Hotel, and Palace Hotel with its verandahs and balconies that extend over the pavement, and for the decorative parapets and masonry street 'wall'. Grand Hotel has historic value as a demonstration of the development that occurred in Kalgoorlie around the turn-of-the-century as it became a service centre of the goldfields. Grant Hotel is significant for its continuity of use.

Physical Description

A two-storey building built to the street alignment with a verandah and balcony that extend across the facades and over the pavement. The exterior features a pediment to the parapet and balcony roof; the pediments highlight the various entrances on the ground floor. Presently, the heritage ambience of the streetscape qualities is neutralised by the application of signage treatment, and therefore the design style is difficult to determine, but probably is Federation Filigree style, c. 1890 - c. 1915. The building has the potential to contributed to the heritage values of the streetscape.

History

The building was established as a hotel and continues to be used as a hotel. The Grand Hotel was built by W.J. Reynolds, mine host of the Coolgardie Hotel who decided to move to Kalgoorlie. In 1896, this hotel was Hannan Street's first permanent hotel, and was considered to be the most well-constructed hotel in town. Appropriately named the Grand Hotel, it was originally designed to be built of brick. Unfortunately the brick maker died before sufficient bricks could be produced, and so instead the building was constructed mainly of stone taken from Mount Charlotte (Webb, 1993: 428). The local Bickerton's Steam Sawmills supplied the timber (Laurie, 1995: 48). The hotel was designed by architectural firm of Moline, Summerhayes and Hawkins. In addition to the usual bar arrangements, it had 16 bedrooms (14 of which were on the first floor) and a billiard room. An architectural innovation was a roofed courtyard in which were trees, shrubs and pot plants to provide a cool retreat during the heat of summer. As was usual with hotels of the day, the Grand had a large cool cellar, some 9 feet below ground, in this case extending the whole length of the bar. Although Kalgoorlie at that time lacked an ice making works, Reynolds installed a large American style ice box intending to have ice brought over daily from Coolgardie. The hotel furniture was purchased in Adelaide. The cost of transporting it by sea and rail to Coolgardie and then by team to Kalgoorlie doubled its price (Webb, 1993: 428). The bedrooms were furnished with marble topped wash stands, mirror and carpets. The balcony was trimmed with cast iron lace (Laurie, 1995: 48). In all, the hotel cost over £8,000; an enormous sum, but confirmation of Kalgoorlie's new found importance. The Grand Hotel was opened on 1 February 1896 (Webb, 1993: 428). In March 1897, the Grand Hotel installed the town's first private telephone. It connected the hotel with nearby stables. This was an offshoot of a system, announced in the previous November, to connect the town with the Great Boulder, Lake View Consols and Associated mines and eventually Coolgardie (Webb, 1993: 545). General Comments: The role of hotels was crucial to the social and economic life on the goldfields. If mines were the sources of the miner's wages, the hotels were the sinks into which a lot of it was poured. Hotels not only provided alcoholic drinks, food and accommodation, but provided men with comfortable surroundings quite beyond their normal experience. Hotels were also vital social centres for travellers and residents alike (Webb, 1993: 543-544).

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: High Authenticity: Moderate to

Condition

Fair

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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