149:, to design an extensive new cafe, with the more patriotic name of the Cafe Australia, that was initially to include a concert hall, and ‘winter garden’. Opening in October 1916, the cafe featured series of rooms, an entry bar, a Palm Court, a Fountain Court, leading through to the main arched roofed double height dining room. It was adorned with painted murals, sculpture and highly patterned plasterwork, and specially designed furniture and fittings, in the Griffin’s distinctive angular geometric style.
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In 1937, plans for the new Hotel
Australia was announced. The scheme for the twelve-story building included an arcade which would connect Collins to Little Collins, and line up with other lanes and arcades connecting Flinders Street right through to Bourke Street. In recognition of the popularity and
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From the 1870s, the north side of
Collins Street between Swanston and Elizabeth Streets became the most fashionable shopping area in Melbourne, known as ‘the block’. The Cafe Gunsler was established in 1879, located in the centre of the block, and was one of the most fashionable restaurants and event
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The hotel was ultimately demolished in the winter of 1989, with the fire marshal declaring the demolition site a fire hazard. The replacement building included a budget hotel on top of a three level shopping arcade, which was known as the
Australia On Collins. In 2018/19 the arcade was revamped and
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The
Citistate development group bought the hotel in June 1987 at a price of $ 55 million. While preservationists wanted to save the structures, Citistate had purchased the building in a vacant state and claimed the building was a fire hazard, despite being a graded building in a heritage precinct,
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venues in the city. It was refurbished in 1890 and renamed the Vienna Cafe, which was bought in 1908 by another prominent restaurateur, the Greek
Australian Anthony Lucas. During 1916, World War 1, the cafe was closed due to its German associations.
118:, the Hotel Australia was a 12-storey building with 94 rooms, numerous private dining and function rooms, and was the most prestigious hotel in Melbourne in its day. The hotel included two small
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returned to
Australia in March 1940 they took their woven goods to the Hotel Australia where they staged an exhibition. The exhibition was opened by the then Prime Minister
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was a former hotel in
Melbourne, Australia. The hotel was built in 1939 on the site of the former Cafe Australia (which had opened in 1916), and was demolished in 1989.
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This has sometimes been mistaken for the preservation of the 1916 room, but the design details are quite different, and it was not a ground floor space.
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unique design of the Cafe
Australia, the hotel included an arched-roofed ballroom which was a simplified version of the cafe’s main room.
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The first event held at the new hotel occurred on June 22, 1939, with a benefit gala for St. Vincent's
Hospital. Hand weaving designers
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The hotel was sold by Lucas in 1927 for 20,000 pounds to Fred Matear and Norman
Carlyon and completely refurbished in the process.
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This article is about the defunct hotel in Melbourne. For defunct hotel in Sydney, see
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renamed St Collins Lane, and the hotel is currently the Novotel on Collins.
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397:, Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University
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The site is now occupied by a Novotel hotel and the shopping arcade
274:"Australia Two Theatre in Melbourne, AU - Cinema Treasures"
473:"Citistate to develop $ 200 million Darling Harbor hotel"
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School of Historical Studies, Department of History.
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538:Demolished buildings and structures in Melbourne
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206:the City of Melbourne allowed the demolition.
501:"Hotel Australia a fire hazard, says brigade"
543:Buildings and structures demolished in 1989
197:had his wedding reception at the hotel.
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391:"Edith Mary (Mollie) Grove (1909–1996)"
189:The hotel hosted many dignitaries. Sir
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325:"City Properties. Two Important Sales"
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458:"A new beat to the heart of the city"
503:. The Age. 20 July 1989. p. 17.
443:"Matear clan still adding to lustre"
193:enjoyed the hotel dining room while
182:used two floors of the hotel as his
141:Lucas employed the recently arrived
568:1987 disestablishments in Australia
456:Dunstan, Keith (22 November 1992).
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395:Australian Dictionary of Biography
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416:"Picture of Menzies and his wife"
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563:1939 establishments in Australia
516:"A new life for a city landmark"
441:Forell, Claude (25 April 1989).
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341:. The Age. 26 October 1916.
327:. The Age. 2 December 1915.
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145:, who worked with his wife
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558:Collins Street, Melbourne
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355:. The Age. 27 April 1937.
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378:. The Age. 10 May 1939.
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518:. The Age. p. 23.
475:. The Age. p. 28.
445:. The Age. p. 21.
304:www.emelbourne.net.au
252:www.emelbourne.net.au
147:Marion Mahony Griffin
143:Walter Burley Griffin
278:cinematreasures.org
36:General information
376:"Untitled Article"
487:"Let the Oz stay"
353:"New City Arcade"
248:"Australia Hotel"
227:Hotels portal
180:Douglas MacArthur
161:Catherine Hardess
116:Leslie M. Perrott
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176:World War II
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532:Categories
460:. The Age.
426:27 October
401:28 October
309:31 January
283:31 January
233:References
201:Demolition
85:Demolished
258:23 August
63:Australia
53:Melbourne
214:See also
174:During
133:History
120:cinemas
59:Country
41:Address
77:Closed
69:Opened
428:2023
403:2023
311:2020
285:2020
260:2017
163:and
107:The
88:1989
80:1987
72:1939
420:Age
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