195 Victoria Street

West Melbourne VIC 3003

source: Melbourne Council archives

Architect
Also known as	Prince Albert then later Albert Hotel
Previous Address	195 was also known as 91 Capel Street, West Melbourne.
Constructed	1873
Style	Victorian : 1840-1890
Builder	Robert Pringle, Victoria Street, Hotham.

Timelapse Building Images

2012

source: http://maps.melbourne.vic.gov.au/

Land Details

1. Current map

2. 1895 MMBW map

3. Compiled Crown Record Plan

4. Crown Land Sales 1859

Building Details

Notice of intent to build.

Street: Victoria near corner of Capel street

Number: 5186

Date: 7/1/1873

Owner & Builder: Robert Pringle, Victoria Street, Hotham

Fee: £ 6.5.0

Type: Two story shops, dwelling and bakehouse.

source: Burchett Index

Subsequent Building Alterations

No Entries Found

Architectural Features

No Entries Found

Heritage Significance and Listings

Heritage Listings and Explanatory Notes
Statement of Significance What is significant? These buildings were built as shops in 1873 for Robert Pringle, a baker of Hotham. By 1876, 195 Victoria Street was run as the Prince Albert Hotel (also listed as the Albert Hotel) still under the ownership of Robert Pringle until near the turn of the century. His licensees included Alfred Hardham, Michael Coffey and Ellen Farrell. The shop and residence at 197 was Pringle’s own bakers shop being occupied later by other bakers such as James Shiels. Pringle was a Hotham councillor and mayor in the 1870s. Contributory elements include: • a two-storey Italian Renaissance Revival style, stuccoed brick parapeted former hotel (195) and bakers shop and residence (197), set on a corner site and built to the street alignment; • pitched corrugated iron clad roof behind the stepped parapeted façade, with cemented and corniced chimneys; • trabeated ground level, with and pilasters located around doorways and the former balloon arched bar windows; • upper level arched fenestration, with moulded architraves, bracketed blocks, cornice, impost and string-moulds; • double-hung sash windows; • four-panel door with top light in the corner splay with upper level blinded window recess; and • contribution as a corner and major elemen How is it significant? The Prince Albert Hotel, baker’s shop and residence are significant historically, socially and aesthetically to West Melbourne and the City of Melbourne. Why is it significant? Prince Albert Hotel, baker’s shop and residence are significant. • Aesthetically, 195 Victoria Street is a typical corner hotel of the period but near original, conservatively but competently elevated in the Italian Renaissance Revival style and forms a major part in the Victorian-era streetscape; 197 Victoria Street is an altered shop and residence but is linked with the important 195 Victoria above the verandah; and • Historically and socially, (195 Victoria Street) as a former hotel or gathering place and being on a corner site, has achieved social and visual prominence and, (197 Victoria Street) the baker’s shop and the residence of the hotel’s locally prominent owner-builder, Robert Pringle, also representative of a major growth period (Victorian-era) in West Melbourne. source: West Melbourne Heritage Review 2016

Heritage Listings and Explanatory Notes

Statement of Significance

What is significant?
These buildings were built as shops in 1873 for Robert Pringle, a baker of Hotham. By 1876, 195 Victoria Street was run as the Prince Albert Hotel (also listed as the Albert Hotel) still under the ownership of Robert Pringle until near the turn of the century. His licensees included Alfred Hardham, Michael Coffey and Ellen Farrell. The shop and residence at 197 was Pringle’s own bakers shop being occupied later by other bakers such as James Shiels. Pringle was a Hotham councillor and mayor in the 1870s.

Contributory elements include:
• a two-storey Italian Renaissance Revival style, stuccoed brick parapeted former hotel (195) and bakers shop and residence (197), set on a corner site and built to the street alignment;
• pitched corrugated iron clad roof behind the stepped parapeted façade, with cemented and corniced chimneys;
• trabeated ground level, with and pilasters located around doorways and the former balloon arched bar windows;
• upper level arched fenestration, with moulded architraves, bracketed blocks, cornice, impost and string-moulds;
• double-hung sash windows;
• four-panel door with top light in the corner splay with upper level blinded window recess; and
• contribution as a corner and major elemen

How is it significant?
The Prince Albert Hotel, baker’s shop and residence are significant historically, socially and aesthetically to West Melbourne and the City of Melbourne.

Why is it significant?
Prince Albert Hotel, baker’s shop and residence are significant.
• Aesthetically, 195 Victoria Street is a typical corner hotel of the period but near original, conservatively but competently elevated in the Italian Renaissance Revival style and forms a major part in the Victorian-era streetscape; 197 Victoria Street is an altered shop and residence but is linked with the important 195 Victoria above the verandah; and
• Historically and socially, (195 Victoria Street) as a former hotel or gathering place and being on a corner site, has achieved social and visual prominence and, (197 Victoria Street) the baker’s shop and the residence of the hotel’s locally prominent owner-builder, Robert Pringle, also representative of a major growth period (Victorian-era) in West Melbourne.

source: West Melbourne Heritage Review 2016

Owners

From	To	Owner	More Info	Data Source
	to date	Private		source: Hatcher Index
1873		Robert Pringle, Hotham baker, councillor and mayor in the 1870s		source: The Argus 1878
1859		Mr. Maxwell Reynolds and Adam English, first Crown land purchasers		source: Hatcher Index
abt 40 thousand years earlier	1835	Boon Wurrung and Woiwurrung (Wurundjeri) peoples of the Kulin Nation	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Victoria	source: Hatcher Index

Residents

From	To	Resident	Data Source
	to date	Private	Hatcher Index
1974
1965	1970	Catalano, F. & Son grcn	Sands & McDougall directory, transcribed by Stephen Hatcher 2024
1930		Malone, Miss Annie confectioner (195)	Sands & McDougall directory, transcribed by Stephen Hatcher 2025
1910	1920	Miss. Mary Fraser, Albert Hotel	source: Sands & McDougall directory, transcribed by Anne Cronin in 2020.
1905		Mrs Eva Webb, Albert Hotel	source: Sands & McDougall directory, transcribed by Anne Cronin in 2020.
1900		Mrs. S. Cassidy, Albert Hotel	source: Sands & McDougall directory, transcribed by Anne Cronin in 2020.
1895		Mrs. Ellen Farrell, Albert Hotel	source: Sands & McDougall directory, transcribed by Anne Cronin in 2020.
1890		Michael Coffee, Albert Hotel	source: Sands & McDougall directory, transcribed by Anne Cronin in 2020.
1878		Alfred Hardham, Albert Hotel licensee	source: West Melbourne Heritage Review 2016

Social History

1878. TENDERS will be received until 5 o’clock p.m. on rang, the 21st inst., at Hardham’s Albert Hotel, Capel street, West Melbourne, where plans and specifications may be seen, for the FORMATION of a Bowling, Green.

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article5936534

source: The Argus 1878

Context and Streetscape

Precinct
This property resides within the municipality of the City of Melbourne. We respectfully acknowledge it is on the traditional land of the Kulin Nation. source: https://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/SiteCollectionDocuments/history-city-of-melbourne.pdf historical map source: https://www.slv.vic.gov.au/search-discover/explore-collections-format/maps/maps-melbourne-city-suburbs

Zoning
The controls listed below affect this property: MUZ (Mixed Use Zone)Schedule DDO32 (DDO32 North Melbourne Peripheral)Schedule HO3 (North & West Melbourne Precinct)Schedule PO12 (Parking Overlay 12)Schedule This information must be verified with the relevant planning or heritage authority.

Streetscape
The Capel streetscape can be characterised as a mix of Victorian and modern buildings. Eight of the original seventeen single-story Victorian terrace dwellings plus some double storey commercial buildings are on its western side, south of Victoria Street, while on the eastern side, the street retains sixteen of its original thirty-six, wider sized early Victorian, two storey terrace homes, as well as two story modern public housing townhouses. Crossing over Victoria Street to the north on the eastern side, nineteen of the original thirty-two equally fine examples of early two storey Victoria terrace dwellings can be seen, dispersed by a small number of modern two storey buildings. Unfortunately, all twenty-two of the original Victorian terrace dwellings on the western side from Victoria to Queensberry streets have all been demolished, replaced by taller modern commercial buildings that are out of character with the existing surrounding Victorian architecture of this once predominantly single and double storey residential streetscape. Heritage of note include two 2 storey terraces at 62 and 64, both have National Trust classifications and Heritage Victoria registrations. Two more include two single storey terraces dwellings at 81 and 83 that were designed by the distinguished Australian architect, Mr. George Raymond Johnson.

Streetscape

The Capel streetscape can be characterised as a mix of Victorian and modern buildings. Eight of the original seventeen single-story Victorian terrace dwellings plus some double storey commercial buildings are on its western side, south of Victoria Street, while on the eastern side, the street retains sixteen of its original thirty-six, wider sized early Victorian, two storey terrace homes, as well as two story modern public housing townhouses.

Crossing over Victoria Street to the north on the eastern side, nineteen of the original thirty-two equally fine examples of early two storey Victoria terrace dwellings can be seen, dispersed by a small number of modern two storey buildings. Unfortunately, all twenty-two of the original Victorian terrace dwellings on the western side from Victoria to Queensberry streets have all been demolished, replaced by taller modern commercial buildings that are out of character with the existing surrounding Victorian architecture of this once predominantly single and double storey residential streetscape.

Heritage of note include two 2 storey terraces at 62 and 64, both have National Trust classifications and Heritage Victoria registrations. Two more include two single storey terraces dwellings at 81 and 83 that were designed by the distinguished Australian architect, Mr. George Raymond Johnson.

Other Information

No Entries Found