Shamrock Hotel (Bendigo)
Encyclopedia
The Shamrock Hotel is a grand 19th century hotel in Bendigo, Victoria, Australia situated on Pall Mall, the city's main street.
The current Shamrock building is a major landmark of Bendigo and is of historic and architectural significance to the nation of Australia
as a significant building and to the state of Victoria as part of a significant streetscape and collection of late Victorian buildings in a similar style.
including a Cobb and Co. office and a concert hall known as the Theatre Royal.
The hotel's patronage had grown quickly with the booming goldfields and it was renamed the Shamrock in 1855. The same year the Theatre Royal hosted to Lola Montez
, performing for the diggers who threw gold nuggets at her feet, many of which the Shamrock staff took as tips while cleaning. The Bendigo Shakespeare and Literary Society also performed at the theatre from 1861.
Completely rebuilt in 1864, the Shamrock became a large hotel with two triple storey palazzo
in the Victorian Regency architecture
style. By this time the Shamrock had become main hotel in central Sandhurst (as Bendigo was then known) and was the accommodation of choice of visiting dignitaries to the valley's goldfields district including governor Charles Henry Darling
.
A large double storey verandah was added in the 1870s.
, an understudy of German
migrant architect Wilhelm C. Vahland, who is attributed to the four storey Second Empire architecture design with basement level and a distinctive tall fifth storey mansard roof. The elaborate "boom style" building features detailed stucco mouldings and a distinctively Australia feature in its Victorian Filigree styled double storey wrap around iron lacework verandah. The entry patio has the hotel's name in mosaic parquetry and the hotel's name is also etched into the glass of the transom light. Part of the ambitious brief was to construct a rival in grandeur to Melbourne's the Grand Hotel (now Windsor Hotel). The construction contractors were Baxter and Boyne.
The Shamrock played a role in the History of Australia
when in 1898 it hosted the Australian Natives Association
at the banquet hall in which Alfred Deakin
made a speech in support for the Federation of Australia
.
Dame Nellie Melba was one of the notable guests of the hotel during the Edwardian era, she stayed in the third floor corner suite opposite the Bendigo Town Hall clock tower and demanded its hourly chime be turned off.
Other notable guests included Harry Lauder
, Ignacy Jan Paderewski
, John McCormack, Richard Strauss
.
government stepped in, acquiring the hotel for $240,000 to save it and nominated it of state heritage significance.
Among the high profile guests after the reopening were Charles, Prince of Wales
and Diana, Princess of Wales
during a royal visit in 1983.
The Shamrock is privately operated and part of the Comfort Inn brand until recently. It remains one of Bendigo's most popular venue for functions and photography, particularly wedding receptions.
It is currently recognised by Heritage Victoria as being of state heritage significance (H0914) and listed on the Victorian Heritage Register
. The Shamrock is also classified by the National Trust of Victoria (B1853) as being of state significance.
The current Shamrock building is a major landmark of Bendigo and is of historic and architectural significance to the nation of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
as a significant building and to the state of Victoria as part of a significant streetscape and collection of late Victorian buildings in a similar style.
History
The Shamrock began life in 1854, as a small hotel known as The Exchange Hotel, servicing miners during the Victorian gold rushVictorian gold rush
The Victorian gold rush was a period in the history of Victoria, Australia approximately between 1851 and the late 1860s. In 10 years the Australian population nearly tripled.- Overview :During this era Victoria dominated the world's gold output...
including a Cobb and Co. office and a concert hall known as the Theatre Royal.
The hotel's patronage had grown quickly with the booming goldfields and it was renamed the Shamrock in 1855. The same year the Theatre Royal hosted to Lola Montez
Lola Montez
Eliza Rosanna Gilbert, Countess of Landsfeld , better known by the stage name Lola Montez, was an Irish dancer and actress who became famous as a "Spanish dancer", courtesan and mistress of King Ludwig I of Bavaria, who made her Countess of Landsfeld. She used her influence to institute liberal...
, performing for the diggers who threw gold nuggets at her feet, many of which the Shamrock staff took as tips while cleaning. The Bendigo Shakespeare and Literary Society also performed at the theatre from 1861.
Completely rebuilt in 1864, the Shamrock became a large hotel with two triple storey palazzo
Palazzo
Palazzo, an Italian word meaning a large building , may refer to:-Buildings:*Palazzo, an Italian type of building**Palazzo style architecture, imitative of Italian palazzi...
in the Victorian Regency architecture
Regency architecture
The Regency style of architecture refers primarily to buildings built in Britain during the period in the early 19th century when George IV was Prince Regent, and also to later buildings following the same style...
style. By this time the Shamrock had become main hotel in central Sandhurst (as Bendigo was then known) and was the accommodation of choice of visiting dignitaries to the valley's goldfields district including governor Charles Henry Darling
Charles Henry Darling
Sir Charles Henry Darling KCB was a British colonial governor.He was born at Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia, the son of Major-General Henry Darling and nephew of General Sir Ralph Darling....
.
A large double storey verandah was added in the 1870s.
The building
In 1897 the hotel was once again completely rebuilt to the design of Phillip KennedyPhillip Kennedy
Phillip Kennedy is an Irish professional rugby league footballer who at representative level has played for Ireland, and at club level for Belfast Buccaneers.-International honours:...
, an understudy of German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
migrant architect Wilhelm C. Vahland, who is attributed to the four storey Second Empire architecture design with basement level and a distinctive tall fifth storey mansard roof. The elaborate "boom style" building features detailed stucco mouldings and a distinctively Australia feature in its Victorian Filigree styled double storey wrap around iron lacework verandah. The entry patio has the hotel's name in mosaic parquetry and the hotel's name is also etched into the glass of the transom light. Part of the ambitious brief was to construct a rival in grandeur to Melbourne's the Grand Hotel (now Windsor Hotel). The construction contractors were Baxter and Boyne.
The Shamrock played a role in the History of Australia
History of Australia
The History of Australia refers to the history of the area and people of Commonwealth of Australia and its preceding Indigenous and colonial societies. Aboriginal Australians are believed to have first arrived on the Australian mainland by boat from the Indonesian archipelago between 40,000 to...
when in 1898 it hosted the Australian Natives Association
Australian Natives Association
The Australian Natives' Association , a mutual society was founded in Melbourne, Australia in April 1871. The Association played a leading role in the movement for Australian federation in the last 20 years of the 19th century. In 1900 it had a membership of 17,000, mainly in Victoria.The ANA...
at the banquet hall in which Alfred Deakin
Alfred Deakin
Alfred Deakin , Australian politician, was a leader of the movement for Australian federation and later the second Prime Minister of Australia. In the last quarter of the 19th century, Deakin was a major contributor to the establishment of liberal reforms in the colony of Victoria, including the...
made a speech in support for the Federation of Australia
Federation of Australia
The Federation of Australia was the process by which the six separate British self-governing colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia formed one nation...
.
Dame Nellie Melba was one of the notable guests of the hotel during the Edwardian era, she stayed in the third floor corner suite opposite the Bendigo Town Hall clock tower and demanded its hourly chime be turned off.
Other notable guests included Harry Lauder
Harry Lauder
Sir Henry Lauder , known professionally as Harry Lauder, was an international Scottish entertainer, described by Sir Winston Churchill as "Scotland's greatest ever ambassador!"-Early life:...
, Ignacy Jan Paderewski
Ignacy Jan Paderewski
Ignacy Jan Paderewski GBE was a Polish pianist, composer, diplomat, politician, and the second Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland.-Biography:...
, John McCormack, Richard Strauss
Richard Strauss
Richard Georg Strauss was a leading German composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras. He is known for his operas, which include Der Rosenkavalier and Salome; his Lieder, especially his Four Last Songs; and his tone poems and orchestral works, such as Death and Transfiguration, Till...
.
1970s demolition threat
In the 1970s the Shamrock, like many grand hotels around Australia, had waned in popularity and was under threat of demolition as one of several sites in being proposed for speculative office blocks. The Rupert HamerRupert Hamer
Sir Rupert James Hamer, AC, KCMG, ED , generally known until he was knighted in 1982 as Dick Hamer, Australian Liberal Party politician, was the 39th Premier of Victoria, serving from 1972 to 1981.-Early years:...
government stepped in, acquiring the hotel for $240,000 to save it and nominated it of state heritage significance.
Restoration and reopening
The Victorian Public Works Department subsequently undertook a major restoration project at a cost of approximately $2.5 million which was finally completed on April 14, 1981. While many historic interior features were intact including the grand staircase, verandah, second storey parlour, halls and arches and 1920s elevator most of the rooms were upgraded with modern facilities and the top storey beneath the mansard roof, which were subject to water ingress and pigeon roosting was boarded off and the basement level was closed. The hotel was leased to Clover Hotels.Among the high profile guests after the reopening were Charles, Prince of Wales
Charles, Prince of Wales
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
and Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, whom she married on 29 July 1981, and an international charity and fundraising figure, as well as a preeminent celebrity of the late 20th century...
during a royal visit in 1983.
The Shamrock is privately operated and part of the Comfort Inn brand until recently. It remains one of Bendigo's most popular venue for functions and photography, particularly wedding receptions.
Heritage Recognition
The Shamrock was given a state interim heritage protection order in 1975. The hotel was recognised with national significance to Australia in 1978 when it was added to the Register of the National Estate (4298).It is currently recognised by Heritage Victoria as being of state heritage significance (H0914) and listed on the Victorian Heritage Register
Victorian Heritage Register
The Victorian Heritage Register lists places of cultural heritage significance to the State of Victoria, Australia. It has statutory weight under the Heritage Act 1995 which establishes Heritage Victoria as the permit authority...
. The Shamrock is also classified by the National Trust of Victoria (B1853) as being of state significance.