Grand Central Hotel

Statement of Significance

The hotel is an integral part a significant surviving city scape. Apart from one more recent office block, the stretch of the west side of Victoria Street between Symmons st and Wellington St remains an intact facade of Victorian and Edwardian structures including the former Lyric Theatre two recently restored and highly significant buildings ar Nos 99 & 101 and some minor but compatible support single storey shops. The verandah of the hotel was classified by the National Trust in May 1981.

DEMONSTRATION OF A WAY OF LIFE:The Grand Central Hotel is one of a small remaining number of Temperance Hotels built in many towns around the turn of the century to provide both holiday accommodation for the less affluent and accommodation for workers in town.
HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The distinctively patterned wooden verandahs and railings (note the outcuts of spades in the verandah balustrade) and the use of timber throughout the building reflect the importance of the timber industry to Bunbury which had a wealth of timber structures. The plan of the building with shops under the verandah also reflects the period.
TOWNSCAPE VALUE; The hotel is an integral part of the significant surrounding city scape of that area of Bunbury. The stretch off the west side of Victoria St, between Symmons and Wellington is with one exception, an intact facade of Victorian & Edwardian structures.
SCARCITY VALUE: The hotel has the only timber hotel verandah remaining in the the town centre and is among a limited number of street verandahs surviving in the state.

Physical Description

Its is a two storey building of "T" shaped plan, with a large single storeyed room against the south side of the tail of the T and a two storeyed verandah built over the street footpath across the head of the T. At the back a single storey extension and a two storeyed toilet block has been added. The original building has brick walls, a corrugated iron roof, with timber verandah, timber floors and roof framing. The condition of the building is fair to good and it is believed that it would present few restoration and repair problems.

It has a fine main staircase and arched entry. The large single storeyed room at the rear, which was presumable the dining room has a lantern roof. Some of the shop fronts beneath the verandah appear to be original, others include later replacements of Moderne or Art Deco style to 1950's style.

History

Assessment 1992
Built: 1907-1920
Built as a Tempereance hostel for Charles Eggleston Bunbury Town Councillor 1903 -5, between 1907 - 1920. Temperance hostels were common to many towns early in the twentieth century and Bunbury was a favoured holiday resort for the less affluent classes following the gold boom. It has certain architectural features suggesting an association with Eustace A Cohen, a prominent architect who designed a number of buildings in the south west of the state in the first part of the 20th centure.

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

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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.