ASSESSMENT OF CULTURAL
HERITAGE SIGNIFICANCE AND
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
RECOMMENDATION TO THE
HERITAGE COUNCIL
Place 1
Place 2
NAME
MENTONE HOTEL
NAME
MENTONE HOTEL CAR
PARK
LOCATION
95 BEACH ROAD,
MENTONE
LOCATION
95 BEACH ROAD,
MENTONE
VHR NUMBER:
PROV H2346
HERMES NUMBER:
197528
CATEGORY:
HERITAGE PLACE
HERMES NUMBER:
197429
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE HERITAGE COUNCIL:
Recommendation: Place 1
 That the Mentone Hotel be included as a Heritage Place in the Victorian Heritage Register
under section 32 (1)(a) of the Heritage Act 1995.
Recommendation: Place 2
 That Mentone Hotel Car park NOT be included in the Victorian Heritage Register under section
32 (1)(b) of the Heritage Act 1995.
TIM SMITH
Executive Director
Recommendation Date: 13 March 2015
Page 2 of 42
EXTENT OF NOMINATION
The Mentone Hotel at 95-71 Beach Road Mentone being Lots 1 & 2, LP55412 and Lot 2 LP64632 in the City
of Kingston.
The Mentone Hotel has been nominated on the basis that it satisfies the following Heritage Council of
Victoria criteria.
Criterion B Possession of uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of Victoria’s cultural history.
Criterion E Importance in exhibiting particular aesthetic characteristics
Criterion F Importance in demonstrating a high degree of creative or technical achievement at a particular
period.
Criterion G Strong or special association with a particular community or cultural group for social, cultural or
spiritual reasons.
Criterion H Special association with the life or works of a person, or group of persons, of importance in
Victoria’s history.
Place 1: Mentone Hotel
Hermes Number: 197429
Place 2: Mentone Hotel Car Park
Hermes Number: 197528
Page 3 of 42
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S RESPONSE TO NOMINATED EXTENT
DRAFT ONLY: NOT ENDORSED BY THE HERITAGE COUNCIL
The Executive Director has considered the nominated extent and makes the following recommendations:
Place 1: Mentone Hotel
 That this place be included in the Victorian Heritage Register.
Place 2: Mentone Hotel Car park
 That this place NOT be included in the Victorian Heritage Register.
Place 1: Mentone Hotel
Hermes Number: 197429
Place 2: Mentone Hotel Car Park
Hermes Number: 197528
Page 4 of 42
RECOMMENDATION: PLACE 1
NAME OF PLACE
Mentone Hotel
RECOMMENDED REGISTRATION
DRAFT ONLY: NOT ENDORSED BY THE HERITAGE COUNCIL
All of the place shown hatched on Diagram 2346 encompassing part of Lot 2 on Lodged Plan 64632.
The extent of registration of the Mentone Hotel on the Victorian Heritage Register affects the whole place
shown on Diagram 2346 including the land and buildings.
Place 1: Mentone Hotel
Hermes Number: 197429
Place 2: Mentone Hotel Car Park
Hermes Number: 197528
Page 5 of 42
PLACE 1: MENTONE HOTEL
STATEMENT OF CULTURAL HERITAGE SIGNIFICANCE
DRAFT ONLY: NOT ENDORSED BY THE HERITAGE COUNCIL
WHAT IS SIGNIFICANT?
The Mentone Hotel, consisting of a large two storey brick building. Later single storey additions to the rear
(north-west) are not significant.
History Summary
The Mentone Hotel was built on the Port Phillip Bay seafront at the height of the Melbourne land boom to
provide accommodation and facilities for visitors to the seaside. Excursions to the beach were popular in
Victoria from the mid-nineteenth century, providing opportunities for relaxation and pleasure in what was
considered a healthy and recuperative environment. Beach destinations became increasingly fashionable for
Melburnians in the 1880s and a number of large hotels were established along Port Phillip Bay, from St Kilda
to Queenscliff. Access to these destinations, for both holiday makers and day trippers, was facilitated by the
opening of rail lines from Melbourne and the operation of large steamers on Port Phillip Bay. Advertised as a
new, highly accessible and attractive seaside suburb on the shores of Port Phillip Bay, Mentone developed
after the railway to Mordialloc was opened in 1881. The popularity of the beach suburb resulted in the need
for appropriate accommodation and facilities for visitors. In 1887 architects Loweish, Moorhouse and Figgis
called tenders for a large, 50-roomed hotel on the sea front. The Mentone Hotel was subsequently opened
by 1890 and the following year sea baths were constructed at the nearby beach. The hotel continued to
attract custom and provided accommodation, bar and dining facilities for visitors until at least the 1930s.
Briefly renamed the Edgewater Beach Hotel in the 1950s, the hotel continued to provide bar and dining
facilities until November 2014.
Description Summary
Situated on a prominent and narrow wedge-shaped site, the Mentone Hotel is a large two storey rendered
brick building with slate roof. The building is complex in form and combines an unusual assemblage of
elements, including a prominent corner tower, subsidiary circular towers with cupolas, curved balconies and
bell-cast roofs. The composition is highly original, reflecting the unusual site, the beachside location and an
interest in complex and elaborate design in the late boom period in Victoria. The eclectic detailing combines
both classically derived and novel elements. The two street facades are broadly identical and contain
balconies which are divided into three bays, with central hipped roof and flanking two-storey pedimented
bays. Internally the original grand staircase and open stairwell remain as a feature of the central space of
the building, otherwise the interiors have been substantially altered. Single storey additions have been
made to the rear of the building, including a drive-through bottle shop.
This site is part of the traditional land of the Kulin Nation.
Place 1: Mentone Hotel
Hermes Number: 197429
Place 2: Mentone Hotel Car Park
Hermes Number: 197528
Page 6 of 42
HOW IS IT SIGNIFICANT?
The Mentone Hotel is of historical and architectural significance to the State of Victoria. It satisfies the
following criterion for inclusion in the Victorian Heritage Register:
Criterion A Importance to the course, or pattern, of Victoria’s cultural history.
Criterion D Importance in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a class of cultural places and
objects.
WHY IS IT SIGNIFICANT?
The Mentone Hotel is significant at the State level for the following reasons:
The Mentone Hotel is historically significant for its association with the development of seaside
accommodation in Victoria in the late 1880s. It clearly demonstrates this development and illustrates the
increased wealth and leisure time of Victorians during the 1880s boom period in Melbourne, the expanding
network of transport and the popularity of the seaside as a destination at this time. The Mentone Hotel is
one of a small group of large hotels which retain sufficient fabric to clearly illustrate this association, and
one of a few which remain in relatively close proximity to the Melbourne Central Business District. [Criterion
A]
The Mentone Hotel is architecturally significant as a large hotel of unusual design built during the 1880s
boom period in Victoria. It is of particular note for its highly unusual, eclectic and original design by the firm
Loweish, Moorhouse and Figgis. In contrast to the classical Italianate character of the typical hotel of the
period, the Mentone Hotel blends both classical and innovative elements in a striking and appropriately
exuberant manner in this beachside holiday location. [Criterion D]
Place 1: Mentone Hotel
Hermes Number: 197429
Place 2: Mentone Hotel Car Park
Hermes Number: 197528
Page 7 of 42
PLACE 1: MENTONE HOTEL
RECOMMENDATION REASONS
REASONS FOR RECOMMENDING INCLUSION IN THE VICTORIAN HERITAGE REGISTER
Following is the Executive Director's assessment of the place against the tests set out in The Victorian
Heritage Register Criteria and Thresholds Guidelines (2014).
CRITERION A
Importance to the course, or pattern, of Victoria’s cultural history.
The Mentone Hotel has been nominated on the basis that it satisfies Criteria B, E, F, G, and H. The Executive
Director has also assessed this place against Criteria A.
STEP 1: A BASIC TEST FOR SATISFYING CRITERION A
The place/object has a CLEAR ASSOCIATION with an event, phase, period, process, function, movement,
custom or way of life in Victoria’s cultural history.
Plus
The association of the place/object to the event, phase, etc IS EVIDENT in the physical fabric of the
place/object and/or in documentary resources or oral history.
Plus
The EVENT, PHASE, etc is of HISTORICAL IMPORTANCE, having made a strong or influential contribution to
Victoria.
Executive Director’s Response
The Mentone Hotel was built at the height of the highly influential 1880s boom period in Victoria and has a
clear association with this period. At this time increased wealth and leisure time, and the expanding
network of transport, enabled many Victorians to partake in holidays and day trips, and the beach was a
popular destination in the late 1880s. Hotels such as the Mentone Hotel provided fashionable
accommodation and facilities for large numbers of visitors well into the twentieth century. The Mentone
Hotel continued to provide hotel services until its closure in late 2014. The place has a clear association with
the boom period in Victoria and the fabric clearly demonstrates this association.
Criterion A is likely to be satisfied.
STEP 2: A BASIC TEST FOR DETERMINING STATE LEVEL SIGNIFICANCE FOR CRITERION A
The place/object allows the clear association with the event, phase etc. of historical importance to be
UNDERSTOOD BETTER THAN MOST OTHER PLACES OR OBJECTS IN VICTORIA WITH SUBSTANTIALLY THE
SAME ASSOCIATION.
Executive Director’s Response
A number of large hotels were built at Victorian seaside locations in the late 1880s in response to the
increased demand by visitors for accommodation and facilities. A small number of these remain to illustrate
Place 1: Mentone Hotel
Hermes Number: 197429
Place 2: Mentone Hotel Car Park
Hermes Number: 197528
Page 8 of 42
this important phase, with the majority located either close to Melbourne (George Hotel, St Kilda, corner
section 1885-86, VHR H0706 and Hotel Victoria, Albert Park 1888, VHR H0820) or at some distance from
Melbourne at established seaside resorts (for example Queenscliff Hotel 1887, VHR H1141). The Mentone
Hotel is one of few large hotels which remain demonstrating this in a location between those close to
suburban Melbourne (such as St Kilda) and more distant resort locations (such as Sorrento), as new areas
opened up due to rail and sea transport.
Criterion A is likely to be satisfied at the state level.
CRITERION B
Possession of uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of Victoria’s cultural history.
The Mentone Hotel has been nominated against Criterion B on the basis that it possesses uncommon, rare
or endangered aspects of Victoria’s cultural history –
 as a unique and largely intact original design
 due to the presence of tunnels under the hotel
 due to its early connections with Heidelberg School painters.
STEP 1: A BASIC TEST FOR SATISFYING CRITERION B
The place/object has a CLEAR ASSOCIATION with an event, phase, period, process, function, movement,
custom or way of life of importance in Victoria’s cultural history.
Plus
The association of the place/object to the event, phase, etc IS EVIDENT in the physical fabric of the
place/object and/or in documentary resources or oral history.
Plus
The place/object is RARE OR UNCOMMON, being one of a small number of places/objects remaining that
demonstrates the important event, phase etc.
OR
The place/object is RARE OR UNCOMMON, containing unusual features of note that were not widely
replicated
OR
The existence of the class of place/object that demonstrates the important event, phase etc is
ENDANGERED to the point of rarity due to threats and pressures on such places/objects.
Executive Director’s Response
The presence of tunnels under the building would be unusual and uncommon, however no documentary
evidence is currently available to confirm that tunnels actually exist under the Mentone Hotel. The tunnel
claims are based on conjecture and unsubstantiated evidence at this stage.
The Mentone Hotel is of unique design however this can be said of the majority of buildings in Victoria. The
claim that the style is highly unusual relates more appropriately to Criterion D (see below).
The claimed significance of early connections with Heidelberg School painters does not relate to this
criterion but more appropriately to Criterion G & H (see below).
Criterion B is not likely to be satisfied.
Place 1: Mentone Hotel
Hermes Number: 197429
Place 2: Mentone Hotel Car Park
Hermes Number: 197528
Page 9 of 42
CRITERION D
Importance in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a class of cultural places and objects.
The Mentone Hotel has been nominated on the basis that it satisfies Criteria B, E, F, G, and H. The Executive
Director has also assessed this place against Criteria D.
STEP 1: A BASIC TEST FOR SATISFYING CRITERION D
The place/object is one of a CLASS of places/objects that has a CLEAR ASSOCIATION with an event, phase,
period, process, function, movement, important person(s), custom or way of life in Victoria’s history.
Plus
The EVENT, PHASE, etc is of HISTORICAL IMPORTANCE, having made a strong or influential contribution to
Victoria.
Plus
The principal characteristics of the class are EVIDENT in the physical fabric of the place/object.
Executive Director’s Response
The Mentone Hotel is one of a group of large hotels built at the height of the 1880s boom period in Victoria
in response to the increased popularity of the seaside as a destination. Together these buildings
demonstrate the increased wealth and leisure time available during this affluent period. The place is readily
identifiable as a large hotel which provided both accommodation and facilities for large numbers of visitors
to this seaside location.
Criterion D is likely to be satisfied.
STEP 2: A BASIC TEST FOR DETERMINING STATE LEVEL SIGNIFICANCE FOR CRITERION D
The place/object is a NOTABLE EXAMPLE of the class in Victoria (refer to Reference Tool D).
Executive Director’s Response
The Mentone Hotel is of particular note for its highly unusual and original design by the architectural
partnership Loweish, Moorhouse and Figgis. In contrast to the classical Italianate character of the typical
hotel of the period, the Mentone Hotel blends classical and innovative elements in a striking and
appropriately exuberant manner, reflecting the emerging development of an Australian beach culture in the
latter nineteenth century.
Criterion D is likely to be satisfied at the State level.
CRITERION E
Importance in exhibiting particular aesthetic characteristics.
The Mentone Hotel has been nominated against Criterion E on the basis that important aesthetic qualities
are displayed in its siting and composition.
Place 1: Mentone Hotel
Hermes Number: 197429
Place 2: Mentone Hotel Car Park
Hermes Number: 197528
Page 10 of 42
STEP 1: A BASIC TEST FOR SATISFYING CRITERION E
The PHYSICAL FABRIC of the place/object clearly exhibits particular aesthetic characteristics.
Executive Director’s Response
Qualities displayed in the siting and composition of the Mentone Hotel relate to the place’s architectural
qualities rather than its aesthetic qualities. It is therefore relevant to consider these qualities against
Criterion D rather than E.
Criterion E is not likely to be satisfied.
CRITERION F
Importance in demonstrating a high degree of creative or technical achievement at a particular period.
The Mentone Hotel has been nominated against Criterion F on the basis that its architectural design is
striking and unique and the building is a strong example of a nineteenth century hotel in Melbourne.
The Executive Director believes that the claimed significance relates to Criterion D (see above) rather than
Criterion F.
Criterion F is not likely to be satisfied.
CRITERION G
Strong or special association with a particular community or cultural group for social, cultural or spiritual
reasons. This includes the significance of a place to indigenous people as part of their continuing and
developing cultural traditions.
The Mentone Hotel has been nominated against Criterion G due to its early connections with Heidelberg
School painters and due to the suggested presence of tunnels under the hotel.
STEP 1: A BASIC TEST FOR SATISFYING CRITERION G
Evidence exists of a DIRECT ASSOCIATION between the place/object and a PARTICULAR COMMUNITY OR
CULTURAL GROUP.
(For the purpose of these guidelines, ‘COMMUNITY or CULTURAL GROUP’ is defined as a sizable group of
persons who share a common and long-standing interest or identity).
Plus
The ASSOCIATION between the place/object and the community or cultural group is STRONG OR SPECIAL, as
evidenced by the regular or long-term use of/engagement with the place/object or the enduring
ceremonial, ritual, commemorative, spiritual or celebratory use of the place/object.
Young painters of the Heidelberg School visited the bayside beaches of Melbourne to paint in the open air.
In the summer of 1886-87 Tom Roberts, Frederick McCubbin and Louis Abrahams reportedly rented a
cottage in Mentone. The Mentone area became popular with these artists and many return trips were
made, resulting in such well known paintings as Slumbering Sea, Mentone (Tom Roberts, 1887), A Holiday at
Mentone (Charles Condor, 1888), Mentone (Tom Roberts, 1888 for the 9x5 Impression Exhibition) and The
Sunny South (Tom Roberts, 1888-90). These well known paintings were all painted before the Mentone
Hotel was built. The Heidelberg School painters made a strong contribution to the course of Victoria’s
Place 1: Mentone Hotel
Hermes Number: 197429
Place 2: Mentone Hotel Car Park
Hermes Number: 197528
Page 11 of 42
history however no evidence has been provided to suggest that the Heidelberg School painters had any
direct association with the Mentone Hotel.
No evidence is available to suggest the presence of tunnels under the place.
Criterion G is not satisfied.
CRITERION H
Special association with the life or works of a person, or group of persons, of importance in Victoria’s
history.
The Mentone Hotel has been nominated against Criterion H due to its early connections with Heidelberg
School painters and due to the presence of tunnels under the hotel.
STEP 1: A BASIC TEST FOR SATISFYING CRITERION H
The place/object has a DIRECT ASSOCIATION with a person or group of persons who have made a strong or
influential CONTRIBUTION to the course of Victoria’s history.
Plus
The ASSOCIATION of the place/object to the person(s) IS EVIDENT in the physical fabric of the place/object
and/or in documentary resources and/or oral history.
Plus
The ASSOCIATION:
 directly relates to ACHIEVEMENTS of the person(s) at, or relating to, the place/object; or
 relates to an enduring and/or close INTERACTION between the person(s) and the place/object.
Executive Director’s Response
Young painters of the Heidelberg School visited the bayside beaches of Melbourne to paint in the open air.
In the summer of 1886-87 Tom Roberts, Frederick McCubbin and Louis Abrahams reportedly rented a
cottage in Mentone. The Mentone area became popular with these artists and many return trips were
made, resulting in such well known paintings as Slumbering Sea, Mentone (Tom Roberts, 1887), A Holiday at
Mentone (Charles Condor, 1888), Mentone (Tom Roberts, 1888 for the 9x5 Impression Exhibition) and The
Sunny South (Tom Roberts, 1888-90). These well known paintings were all painted before the Mentone
Hotel was built. The Heidelberg School painters made a strong contribution to the course of Victoria’s
history however no evidence has been provided to suggest that the Heidelberg School painters had any
direct association with the Mentone Hotel.
No evidence is available to suggest the presence of tunnels under the place.
Criterion H is not likely to be satisfied.
Place 1: Mentone Hotel
Hermes Number: 197429
Place 2: Mentone Hotel Car Park
Hermes Number: 197528
Page 12 of 42
PLACE 1: MENTONE HOTEL
PROPOSED PERMIT POLICY
DRAFT ONLY – NOT YET APPROVED BY THE HERITAGE COUNCIL
Preamble
The purpose of the Permit Policy is to assist when considering or making decisions regarding works to a
registered place. It is recommended that any proposed works be discussed with an officer of Heritage
Victoria prior to making a permit application. Discussing proposed works will assist in answering questions
the owner may have and aid any decisions regarding works to the place.
The extent of registration of the Mentone Hotel on the Victorian Heritage Register affects the whole place
shown on Diagram 2346 including the land and building. Under the Heritage Act 1995 a person must not
remove or demolish, damage or despoil, develop or alter or excavate, relocate or disturb the position of any
part of a registered place or object without approval. It is acknowledged, however, that alterations and
other works may be required to keep places and objects in good repair and adapt them for use into the
future.
If a person wishes to undertake works or activities in relation to a registered place or registered object, they
must apply to the Executive Director, Heritage Victoria for a permit. The purpose of a permit is to enable
appropriate change to a place and to effectively manage adverse impacts on the cultural heritage
significance of a place as a consequence of change. If an owner is uncertain whether a heritage permit is
required, it is recommended that Heritage Victoria be contacted.
Permits are required for anything which alters the place or object, unless a permit exemption is granted.
Permit exemptions usually cover routine maintenance and upkeep issues faced by owners as well as minor
works. They may include appropriate works that are specified in a conservation management plan. Permit
exemptions can be granted at the time of registration (under s.42 of the Heritage Act) or after registration
(under s.66 of the Heritage Act).
It should be noted that the addition of new buildings to the registered place, as well as alterations to the
interior and exterior of existing buildings requires a permit, unless a specific permit exemption is granted.
Conservation management plans
It is recommended that a Conservation Management Plan is developed to manage the place in a manner
which respects its cultural heritage significance.
Cultural heritage significance
Overview of significance
The cultural heritage significance of the Mentone Hotel lies in its important associations with the
development of seaside accommodation as one of a number of hotels built during the peak of the 1880s
boom period in Victoria. It is significant for its highly unusual and original design, which blends classical and
innovative elements in a striking and appropriately exuberant manner.
Place 1: Mentone Hotel
Hermes Number: 197429
Place 2: Mentone Hotel Car Park
Hermes Number: 197528
Page 13 of 42
a)
All of the buildings and features listed here are of primary cultural heritage significance in the
context of the place. A permit is required for most works or alterations. See Permit Exemptions
section for specific permit exempt activities:
•
b)
The following buildings and features are of no cultural heritage significance. Specific permit
exemptions are provided for these items:
•
c)
The two storey 1889-90 hotel building.
All single storey rear additions.
Archaeological: Ground disturbance may affect the archaeological potential of the place and,
subject to the exemptions stated in this document, requires a permit.
PLACE 1: MENTONE HOTEL
PROPOSED PERMIT EXEMPTIONS (UNDER SECTION 42 OF THE
HERITAGE ACT)
DRAFT ONLY – NOT YET APPROVED BY THE HERITAGE COUNCIL – RECOMMENDED UNDER SECTION 33 OF
THE HERITAGE ACT
It should be noted that Permit Exemptions can be granted at the time of registration (under s.42(4) of the
Heritage Act). Permit Exemptions can also be applied for and granted after registration (under s.66 of the
Heritage Act)
General Condition 1
All exempted alterations are to be planned and carried out in a manner which prevents damage to the fabric
of the registered place or object.
General Condition 2
Should it become apparent during further inspection or the carrying out of works that original or previously
hidden or inaccessible details of the place or object are revealed which relate to the significance of the place
or object, then the exemption covering such works shall cease and Heritage Victoria shall be notified as soon
as possible.
General Condition 3
All works should be informed by Conservation Management Plans prepared for the place. The Executive
Director is not bound by any Conservation Management Plan, and permits still must be obtained for works
suggested in any Conservation Management Plan.
General Condition 4
Nothing in this determination prevents the Heritage Council from amending or rescinding all or any of the
permit exemptions.
Place 1: Mentone Hotel
Hermes Number: 197429
Place 2: Mentone Hotel Car Park
Hermes Number: 197528
Page 14 of 42
General Condition 5
Nothing in this determination exempts owners or their agents from the responsibility to seek relevant
planning or building permits from the relevant responsible authority, where applicable.
Specific Exemptions:
Interior
 Internal works to all parts of the place, excluding the main staircase, stairwell and ceiling light. Internal
works must not result in any adverse impact on the original external fabric and must not be detrimental
to the cultural heritage significance of the exterior of the place.
Exterior
• Minor repairs and maintenance which replace like with like.
 Removal of non-original items such as air conditioners, pipe work, ducting, wiring, antennae, aerials etc,
and making good in a manner which does not affect the cultural heritage significance of the place.
• Installation or removal of non-original external fixtures and fittings such as, hot water services and taps.
 Installation and repairing of damp proofing by either injection method or grouted pocket method in a
manner which does not affect the cultural heritage significance of the place.
Other
 Demolition of the former bottle shop and non-original attachments to the original north-west facade.
Place 1: Mentone Hotel
Hermes Number: 197429
Place 2: Mentone Hotel Car Park
Hermes Number: 197528
Page 15 of 42
PLACE 1: MENTONE HOTEL
RELEVANT INFORMATION
LOCAL GOVERNMENT AUTHORITY
Kingston
HERITAGE LISTING INFORMATION

Heritage Overlay:
Yes HO77

Heritage Overlay Controls:
External Paint: Yes
Internal Alteration: No
Tree: No

Other listing:
No
HISTORY
Development of seaside resorts in Victoria
In the nineteenth century, the seaside provided a place for relaxation and enjoyment, as well as being a
restorative place for the invalid and a healthy destination for all Victorians. The curative properties of fresh
air and climate were well publicised in the nineteenth century and the fortifying and revitalising powers of a
visit to the seaside were well recognised. Depending on one’s means, this may have involved day tripping to
beaches in close proximity to Melbourne, such as St Kilda, or holidaying at a more distant resort such as
Queenscliff, Sorrento or Lorne. Development of the latter resulted from greater prosperity, increased
leisure time and improved transport, and these distant resorts played an important social role for many
wealthier Victorians. The development of seaside resorts resulted in the need for accommodation,
particularly from the 1880s, and this took the form of hotels, coffee palaces and guesthouses.
Pleasure trips down the coast of Port Phillip Bay from Melbourne took place as early as the 1840s, and by
the 1850s boats were carrying visitors to seaside destinations such as Queenscliff. By 1861 when a pier was
completed at Queenscliff, the scenic seaside location contained five hotels to accommodate the increasing
number of holiday makers. By 1879 a railway linked Queenscliff with Geelong and the boom years of the
1880s was reflected in the construction of hotels and mansions and an increase in the number of steamer
trips from Melbourne. Holiday makers and day trippers visited in great numbers. In the 1880s larger
steamers began operation, including the Ozone in 1886, which could carry 800 passengers, the Hygeia in
1890 (1,500 passengers) and the Weeroona in 1910 (2,000 passengers).
Like Queenscliff, Sorrento developed as a popular seaside resort in the 1870s, largely due to the
entrepreneur George Coppin who recognised the potential of the place as a resort for holiday makers. His
company purchased land, constructed cottages, a road between the shore of the bay and the ocean, baths
and a hotel known as the Continental Hotel. To access the town Coppin formed the Sorrento-Queenscliff
Navigation Company and steamers transported large numbers of people from Melbourne to both
destinations. By 1890 Sorrento was well established as a fashionable seaside resort with facilities and
amusements, a tram to the back beach, cliff walks and lookouts and a range of accommodation including
several grand hotels such as the Continental, Oriental and the Mornington Hotel.
Place 1: Mentone Hotel
Hermes Number: 197429
Place 2: Mentone Hotel Car Park
Hermes Number: 197528
Page 16 of 42
A third seaside destination, Lorne, developed at a slower rate due to its distance from Melbourne and the
difficulty of the trip from Geelong through the Otways. However its relative isolation and scenic location
encouraged its reputation as a new and exclusive resort and by the 1880s large accommodation
establishments included the grand and commodious Pacific Hotel and the Lorne Hotel.
Closer to Melbourne a number of beaches on Port Phillip Bay became popular destinations for day trippers
and holiday makers, including Brighton, Mordialloc, Frankston, Schnapper Point (later Mornington) and
Dromana. The opening of a railway to St Kilda in 1857 enabled easy access from Melbourne, and the
provision of foreshore facilities such as piers, pavilions, hotels and deck chairs encouraged visitors. Further
south along the bay, destinations such as Brighton became particularly accessible with the opening of a
railway line to Brighton Beach in 1861, and Sandringham after the line was extended in 1887. A separate
railway line was opened via Caulfield to Mordialloc in 1881 and further to Frankston the following year,
allowing easier access to these beaches and beyond.
Numerous publications were produced in Victoria from the 1870s which described a variety of Victorian
holiday destinations, including the seaside locations of Port Phillip Bay. These included the Illustrated
Handbook of the Bay: for those seeking recreation during the summer months, 1876-77; The Standard Guide
to Victoria: containing a comprehensive description of the principal country towns and tourist resorts, 1899,
and publications produced by the Victorian Railways Department from the 1880s and others.
A number of large hotels were constructed in the 1880s to provide accommodation and associated facilities
for visitors to a multitude of beaches on Port Phillip Bay. This included seaside locations such as St Kilda,
Middle Park, Williamstown, Sandringham, Beaumaris, Mentone, Mornington, Mt Martha, Portarlington,
Clifton Springs and Queenscliff.
Development of Mentone
In the Argus in October 1884, Mentone was described as one of the newest and most prominent suburbs of
Melbourne. The opening of the railway line to Mordialloc in 1881 was the impetus for the development of
this suburb on the shores of Port Philip Bay. At the beginning of 1882, a syndicate including land speculator
Matthew Davies, bought the block of land upon which Mentone is situated and subdivided it for sale. They
submitted a plan for the new suburb, with a detailed subdivision of land and streets, and by 1884 they had
completed and planted streets, constructed houses, including timber houses to cater for the ‘great demand
for artisans in the locality’, and a reading room and bathing home on the beach. In 1884 it was also reported
that a post office and store had been built and a ‘hotel is about to be erected’.
In the previous year, advertising material for the estate called Mentone ‘the new watering place’. The site
was described as the nearest beach location connected by railway to the city, after Brighton. Situated on a
different railway line to Brighton, Mentone was also publicised as more conveniently situated than the latter
for residents in such suburbs as Toorak, Malvern, Caulfield, South Yarra, Hawthorn and Kew. To encourage
the sale of allotments, comparative prices for allotments in St Kilda, Brighton and even Queenscliff were
provided in the advertising literature.
The new suburb of Mentone was situated between the railway line to the north and the beach to the south,
with the main road, Mentone Parade, leading from the station to the nearest beach access. Streets were
named after Italian towns such as Como, Naples, Venice, Brindisi, Milan, Cremona, Florence and Palermo
and the suburb was advertised as ‘the Riviera of the south’ and ‘the greatest seaside resort in the southern
Place 1: Mentone Hotel
Hermes Number: 197429
Place 2: Mentone Hotel Car Park
Hermes Number: 197528
Page 17 of 42
hemisphere’. By 1887 there were thirty occupied properties recorded in Mentone in the Sands and
McDougall Directory. Three years later in 1890 this had increased to ninety-four.
Young painters of the Heidelberg School visited the bayside beaches of Melbourne to paint in the open air.
In the summer of 1886-87 Tom Roberts, Frederick McCubbin and Louis Abrahams reportedly rented a
cottage in Mentone. The Mentone area became popular with these artists and many return trips were
made, resulting in such well known paintings as Slumbering Sea, Mentone (Tom Roberts, 1887), A Holiday at
Mentone (Charles Condor, 1888), Mentone (Tom Roberts, 1888 for the 9x5 Impression Exhibition) and The
Sunny South (Tom Roberts, 1888-90).
The Mentone Hotel
The popularity of the new suburb of Mentone was reflected in the construction of a number of associated
buildings, providing both essential services and facilities for visitors. To provide for both the local population
and to encourage visitors to the seaside resort, two hotels were conceived in 1887: one a temperance hotel
or coffee palace in the town itself, and another a hotel on the sea front at the end of Mentone Parade. The
Mentone Coffee Palace was financed by a new company which included Matthew Davies as the largest
shareholder. The foundation stone for the Coffee Palace, designed by architects Reed, Henderson and
Smart, was laid in August 1887. Just two months later, in October, tenders were called for a 50-room hotel
on the Esplanade at Mentone by architects Loweish, Moorhouse and Figgis and the Mentone Hotel was
subsequently opened by 1890. During the 1890s the hotel was advertised as providing first class
accommodation for families with views of Port Phillip Bay and close proximity to the beach.
By February 1899 it was reported in the Oakleigh Leader that ‘Mentone is doing very well just now. The
coffee palace and hotel are working at high pressure and all the houses and lodging places are occupied.’
However the hotel, which was closer to the beach and providing both alcohol and accommodation, proved
to be far more successful than the coffee palace and the company which financed the latter quickly
experienced financial difficulties. By January 1895 the company was liquidated and the building was disused
for a number of years.
By contrast the Mentone Hotel continued to attract holiday makers and day trippers, the former utilising
first floor accommodation and the latter the various hotel facilities, situated close to the beach and the sea
baths constructed at the end of Mentone Parade in 1891. The hotel also provided a venue for various local
meetings and dinners.
The hotel had a number of managers including Frank Scudds who increased the hotel’s popularity after his
arrival in the 1900s. In 1908 the Mentone Hotel was described as an excellent facility in Picturesque Victoria
and how to get there. Scudds, who remained as manager until 1920, was a Moorabbin Shire Councillor and
noted local figure. Subsequent owner in the 1920s, T Schifferle, undertook works including external terrazzo
paving at the Beach Road entrance, inlaid with the words ‘Schifferle’s Hotel Mentone’. This paving remains
in situ. During his ownership, the hotel was advertised as containing five public rooms and thirty one
bedrooms.
The Mentone Hotel continued to be used to accommodate holiday makers in the 1930s and lists of those
staying there over summer were included in Melbourne newspapers. It was temporarily renamed the
Edgewater Beach Hotel in 1953.
Place 1: Mentone Hotel
Hermes Number: 197429
Place 2: Mentone Hotel Car Park
Hermes Number: 197528
Page 18 of 42
The Architects
The architect Charles Douglas Figgis joined the established partnership of Loweish and Moorhouse in 1886
and together this firm designed two large two storey brick hotels at beach locations - Mentone and Clifton
Springs, Drysdale, near Geelong. Tenders for both were called in 1887. Figgis left the partnership in 1888
and Richard Loweish and Frederic Moorhouse continued their partnership after this time.
Prior to working in this partnership, Charles Figgis had established a prominent and prolific architectural
partnership with H R Caselli in Ballarat. As Caselli and Figgis, they designed a large number of buildings in
Ballarat, including the former Congregational Church, Mair Street, Ballarat (1881-82, VHR H0995), a building
at the female refuge at Ballarat (1884, VHR H1893) and the former Ballarat Water Supply building (1884-86).
After Caselli’s death in 1885, Figgis won a competition for the design of the Ballarat Mining Exchange (1887,
VHR H0391) and was also the architect for the Ballarat Club, Danna Street (1888), the Geelong Club (1889,
VHR H1133) and the Wando Dale Homestead at Nareen (1891). He also undertook work in the Mentone
area including a large skating rink in Brindisi Street in 1888 and the Mentone Memorial Presbyterian Church
in c1889.
Place 1: Mentone Hotel
Hermes Number: 197429
Place 2: Mentone Hotel Car Park
Hermes Number: 197528
Page 19 of 42
CONSTRUCTION DETAILS
Architect name: Loweish, Moorhouse and Figgis
Architectural style name: Federation Free Classical
Construction started date: 1889
Construction ended date: 1890
VICTORIAN HISTORICAL THEMES
05
06
Building Victoria’s industries and workforce
5.6
Entertaining and socialising
5.7
Catering for tourists
Building towns, cities and the garden state
6.3
Shaping the suburbs
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
The Mentone Hotel is a large and imposing two storey rendered brick building with slate roof, which is sited
on a prominent narrow wedge-shaped block on the corner of Mentone Parade and Beach Road, Mentone.
Complex in form and unusual in its assemblage of elements, the hotel presents a symmetrical appearance
about a prominent four level tower situated at the street intersection. Secondary circular towers, crowned
with cupolas, flank the main corner tower and are set towards the rear of curved balconies which are
formed above ground floor curved brick and glazed walls. A distinctive bell-cast roof covers a portion of the
building between the towers and the broadly identical street facades to Beach Road and Mentone Parade.
These facades are composed of broad balcony sections which are divided into three bays with central
hipped roof, and flanking two-storied pedimented bays. Detailing combines both classically derived and
novel elements and the overall composition is eclectic and highly original. This reflects the unusual site, the
beachside location and an interest in complex and elaborate design in the late boom period in Victoria.
The interior of the building has been extensively altered since construction. Walls have been removed, new
openings created, partitions, fenestration, bars and a secondary staircase inserted. The original grand
staircase, which rises to a half-landing and divides into two flights to the first floor, the large open stairwell,
elaborate timber balustrading and newell posts and ceiling light above, have all been retained and form a
feature of the central space of the building. A small portion of classical arcading has been retained in the
Beach Road entrance lobby otherwise little remains to indicate the original hotel plan form, detailing or
decoration.
Simple, single storey additions have been made to the rear of the building, including a drive-through bottle
shop.
OBJECTS AND INTERIORS
The staircase, stairwell and ceiling light are important interior elements that contribute to the significance of
the place.
LANDSCAPES, TREES & GARDENS
There are no landscape elements that contribute to the significance of the place.
Place 1: Mentone Hotel
Hermes Number: 197429
Place 2: Mentone Hotel Car Park
Hermes Number: 197528
Page 20 of 42
ARCHAEOLOGY
N/A
INTEGRITY/INTACTNESS
The exterior fabric of the Mentone Hotel retains a fairly high level of intactness. The place has been used as
a hotel since construction and the heritage values are still evident in the external fabric. The place can be
readily identified as a hotel. However external alterations have been made to the building including:

The curved bays flanking the original corner entrance, which were originally open verandahs with
balconies above, were enclosed in c1950s and cast iron decorative iron balustrading and frieze were
removed and replaced with simple balustrading. The lower verandahs remain enclosed in a modified
form. Balcony ironwork has since been reinstated and high transparent barriers placed behind the
balustrading.

Decorative cast iron balustrading was removed from the side balconies. Ironwork has since been
reinstated and the balconies enclosed behind.

Two substantial open tower elements with pyramidal roofs, similar in form to the prominent front
tower, have been removed from the original building. These were located towards the rear of the
building on both facades.

The addition of a drive-through bottle shop to the rear of the building in Beach Road.
Through its continuous use as a hotel, the interior of the place has been substantially modified throughout.
The original use is discernable although the original layout of the design is not clearly evident in the
surviving fabric. The retention of the main central staircase enables the distinction between the original
public and private domains (ground floor/first floor) to be understood. (January 2015)
CONDITION
The place is generally in excellent condition. It is a substantial building that appears to have been well
maintained externally. Internally the main staircase is in very good condition. (January 2015)
COMPARISONS
Seaside hotels in the VHR
Queenscliff Hotel (VHR H1141)
The Queenscliff Hotel was built in 1887 to provide accommodation for increasing numbers of holiday
makers to Queenscliff. Designed by well known Melbourne architects Reed, Henderson and Smart, the hotel
is a highly intact and substantial two storey red brick building which displays an asymmetrical composition
combining English `Queen Anne' style elements such as Dutch gables, highly intricate decorative cast
ironwork and an unusual polygonal tower.
The Queenscliff Hotel has important associations with the wealthier Victorian social classes who regarded
Queenscliff as a fashionable summer holiday resort. It is of architectural significance as a representative
example of a 1880s seaside resort hotel, as an early example of the eclectic Queen Anne style in Victoria
and as an important example of the work of prolific Melbourne architects Reed, Henderson & Smart.
Place 1: Mentone Hotel
Hermes Number: 197429
Place 2: Mentone Hotel Car Park
Hermes Number: 197528
Page 21 of 42
Queenscliff Hotel (VHR H1141)
Ozone Hotel, Queenscliff (VHR H1142)
The Ozone Hotel, formerly known as Baillieu House, was built in 1881 for James George Baillieu to designs
by Melbourne architect William J. Ellis to provide accommodation for increasing numbers of holiday makers
to Queenscliff. It is a grand, three storey stuccoed brick building with an expansive cast iron verandah,
balcony and four storied tower. Two major wings which were added as the need for accommodation
increased. To reflect the name of the paddle steamer used to ferry passengers between Melbourne and
Queenscliff, the name of the hotel was changed from Baillieu House to the Ozone Hotel in 1887.
The Ozone Hotel has important associations wealthier Victorian social classes who regarded Queenscliff as a
fashionable summer holiday resort. The hotel reflects the response to increased leisure income and time
that occurred during the 1880s, and has additional historical significance at state level for its association
with James George Baillieu, patriarch of the notable Victorian Baillieu family of financiers, politicians,
pastoralists and racehorse owners. The hotel is of architectural significance at State level as a representative
example of a 1880s seaside resort hotel and as a fine example of a picturesque Italianate building,
asymmetrically composed and dominated by a French Renaissance tower.
Ozone Hotel, Queenscliff (VHR H1142)
Place 1: Mentone Hotel
Hermes Number: 197429
Place 2: Mentone Hotel Car Park
Hermes Number: 197528
Page 22 of 42
Continental Hotel, Sorrento (VHR H1896)
The Continental Hotel in Sorrento was established in 1875 in response to the overwhelming demand for
accommodation at the growing seaside resort. Built for the Sorrento Hotel Company, under the directorship
of businessman George Coppin (1819-1906) it is a four storey building with a mansard roofed tower,
constructed in a simple Victorian Italianate style using locally quarried limestone. The building has
undergone a series of major changes, with a Moderne style renovation to the street front of the ground and
first floors which includes a roof top deck.
The Continental Hotel has historical significance for its associations with George Coppin, businessman,
politician and entrepreneur whose enterprise was largely responsible for the development of Sorrento as a
seaside resort from the 1870s to the 1890s. Coppin established a number of business ventures associated
with the Continental Hotel such as the steamer service from Melbourne and the Sorrento tramway to
encourage tourism to Sorrento. The hotel is of significance as a representative and relatively intact example
of the type of hotel development popular in the later years of the nineteenth century providing
accommodation, entertainment and associated hotel services for wealthy city tourists.
Continental Hotel, Sorrento (VHR H1896)
Mt Martha House (VHR H1901)
Mt Martha House was built in 1889-90 as a hotel in conjunction with a proposed subdivision known as the
Mount Martha Estate. This large single-storey timber building, designed by well-known Melbourne
architects, Tappin, Gilbert and Dennehy in a picturesque Queen Anne style, was therefore built to attract
prospective purchasers to this seaside estate. It operated as a guest house from 1890 to 1950 with the
exception of a period during World War II.
Mt Martha House is of significance as a representative example of a seaside hotel from the 1880s, for its
unusual and accomplished picturesque Federation Queen Anne design which is complemented by its
landmark siting. There are few comparable designs in Victoria. The hotel has historical significance for its
associations with the development of the Mount Martha Estate, an early scheme to promote summer
residences for the wealthy on the Mornington Peninsula. This building is one of only two built remnants of
the scheme, and its importance to the scheme is reflected in its prominent siting on the Esplanade.
Place 1: Mentone Hotel
Hermes Number: 197429
Place 2: Mentone Hotel Car Park
Hermes Number: 197528
Page 23 of 42
Mt Martha House (VHR H1901)
Hotel Victoria, Albert Park (VHR H0820)
The Hotel Victoria is located on Beaconsfield Parade, Albert Park, on a corner site opposite the beach front.
Built in 1888 for owner and licensee Mary McGregor, it is a large and grand three storey rendered building,
designed in a free classical style by architect Richard Speight. A double storey colonnade and elaborate
three storey facade face Beaconsfield Parade and a distinctive corner tower is crowned by an octagonal,
column-supported belvedere with pointed roof above. This replaced the original, more elaborately detailed,
tower in the 1970s. Internally the building retains a number of intact spaces including a spacious entry foyer,
staircase and first floor lobby. Hotel Victoria is of significance as a representative example of a seaside hotel
from the 1880s and as an illustration of the importance of this type of facility in the late nineteenth century.
Hotel Victoria, Albert Park (VHR H0820)
Place 1: Mentone Hotel
Hermes Number: 197429
Place 2: Mentone Hotel Car Park
Hermes Number: 197528
Page 24 of 42
George Hotel, St Kilda (VHR H0706)
The George Hotel, Fitzroy Street, St Kilda was first established as the Terminus Hotel in 1857 at the terminus
of the Melbourne to St Kilda railway line which was opened that year (the 1857 part of the hotel has since
been demolished). A number of additions were made to the building in the late nineteenth and early
twentieth century, extending the hotel to Grey Street and greatly enlarging the premises and the present
facades comprise sections built in 1885-86, 1925 and 1930.
The George Hotel was extended in 1880 with the addition of a three storey building to the west, in 1885-86
with a large four storey building, designed by architect Harry B. Gibbs, at the corner of Grey Street and in
c1886 with another wing which contained a large, elaborate dining room. As a result the George Hotel
became one of the largest hotels in suburban Melbourne with over one hundred rooms, numerous bars,
lounges and a dining room. In 1925 a five storey hotel extension was added to the east and In 1930 a
building with matching facade was constructed across part of the Fitzroy Street facade. The 1885-86
Renaiassance Revival building is typical of the 1880 boom era in Melbourne. It is a parapetted, rendered
brick building, with curved corner and circular corner tower.
The George Hotel is of significance as a representative example of a seaside hotel from the 1880s and as
one of the largest constructed in suburban Melbourne. The corner building is a fine example of the work of
H. B. Gibbs and the large former dining room is of significance for its highly decorated Victorian interior.
George Hotel, St Kilda
Royal Hotel, Williamstown (VHR H1770)
The former Royal Hotel was built in 1890 for publican Thomas de Wardt to a design by architect T
Anthoness. De-licensed early in the twentieth century, the hotel has been used as a boarding house. The
facade of the three-storey, red brick and stucco building, designed in an Anglo-Dutch (Queen Anne) revival
style, incorporates Flemish gables and a central bay surmounted by a rectangular brick panel and
incorporating highly distinctive stucco ornamentation.
The former Royal Hotel is of architectural significance as an early example of the Anglo-Dutch (Queen Anne)
revival style in Victoria, representing a move away from the rendered Italianate expression favoured in
Victoria for hotel design. Uncharacteristically not located on a corner site, the facade is one of the most
richly ornamented of red brick hotels in Victoria, with elaborate and picturesque parapeted gables; stylised
columns; carved scrolls, garlands and pilaster capitals with cherub faces; and elaborate, iron balconettes
Place 1: Mentone Hotel
Hermes Number: 197429
Place 2: Mentone Hotel Car Park
Hermes Number: 197528
Page 25 of 42
with Art Nouveau-inspired sunflower motifs. Much of the original internal fabric remains.
Royal Hotel, Williamstown
Comparison to the Mentone Hotel
These seaside hotels were built at locations around Port Phillip Bay in the 1870s and 1880s. Some are
located in the early and popular seaside resorts of Queenscliff and Sorrento and others are situated closer
to Melbourne. These hotels are generally of historical significance at a state level as large seaside hotels
built during the land boom and are illustrative of holiday accommodation provided in the 1870s and 1880s.
The Mentone Hotel is a fine example of a large boom period seaside hotel. It remains intact externally and
clearly demonstrates its association with this period in Victoria. Although built at a similar time to the hotels
above, the Mentone Hotel varies stylistically in its adoption of a highly original and eclectic design. Its
location on the seafront at a newly established 1880s suburb also contrasts with those located at already
established seaside resort such as Queenscliff, Sorrento or St Kilda.
Other buildings designed by Charles D Figgis
Former Congregational Church, Mair Street, Ballarat (VHR H0995)
The former Congregational Church, Ballarat was constructed in 1881-82 to the design of architects Charles D
Figgis and HR Caselli, and is of architectural significance as an extraordinary example of eclectic Gothic
architecture and for its association with the prominent Ballarat architects Caselli and Figgis. Of particular
note is the elaborate and finely detailed corner tower, the richly decorated wheel window above an arcaded
portico and foliated column capitals with early Art Nouveau characteristics.
Place 1: Mentone Hotel
Hermes Number: 197429
Place 2: Mentone Hotel Car Park
Hermes Number: 197528
Page 26 of 42
Former Congregational Church, Ballarat
Mining Exchange Building, Ballarat (VHR H0391)
The Mining Exchange building was constructed in Ballarat in 1887-9 to a competition winning design by
Charles D Figgis. The building comprises two storey shops at the front with a central archway providing
access to a large exchange hall behind. The building is of both architectural and historical significance at a
state level. Its architectural significance relates to the building’s importance as a work by the local architect,
Figgis, as an example of boom style classicism from the late 1880s and for its highly distinctive detailing,
planning and form. The building’s historical significance relates to its rarity as one of the few extant mining
exchanges in Victoria and to its links with Victoria’s important gold mining industry.
Mining Exchange Building, Ballarat
The Geelong Club (VHR H1133)
The Geelong Club building was designed by Charles D Figgis, and constructed in 1888-89. It is a two storey
brick building in transitional Queen Anne style, with a steeply pitched hipped roof of slate with terracotta
Place 1: Mentone Hotel
Hermes Number: 197429
Place 2: Mentone Hotel Car Park
Hermes Number: 197528
Page 27 of 42
cresting, elaborate two storey balcony with entrance loggia and striking broken pediment. The building is of
both architectural and historical significance at a state level.
The Geelong Club has historical significance to the state for its associations with many prominent Victorian
citizens, particularly the key figures of the wool industry in Geelong and the Western District in the
nineteenth century who were members of the club. As one of a small number of purpose-built clubs for
gentlemen constructed in Victoria in the nineteenth century, it represents the way of life of wealthy
pastoralists and prominent citizens of country Victoria in the nineteenth century, providing an exclusive
place to meet with men of similar backgrounds.
As an extraordinary example of the work of architect Charles D Figgis, and an unusual example of
transitional Queen Anne style, the Geelong Club is of architectural significance to Victoria. The building is
unusual for its domestic scale and character which reflects the purpose of the club in provided a welcoming
meeting place.
The Geelong Club
Comparison to nominated place
Charles Figgis worked both individually and in partnership with other architects, and adopted a range of
styles in his designs. The highly distinctive design of the Mentone Hotel can be compared with the similarly
innovative design of the Geelong Club, where details are unusual and highly original. Both buildings were
built at a similar time and it is likely that Figgis was the design architect for both buildings. The Mentone
Hotel demonstrates his greatest architectural innovation in the late 1880s, particularly when compared with
the classical Italianate character of the typical hotel of the period.
Place 1: Mentone Hotel
Hermes Number: 197429
Place 2: Mentone Hotel Car Park
Hermes Number: 197528
Page 28 of 42
RECOMMENDATION: PLACE 2
NAME OF PLACE
Mentone Hotel Car Park
RECOMMENDATION REASONS
REASONS FOR NOT RECOMMENDING INCLUSION IN THE VICTORIAN HERITAGE REGISTER
Mentone Hotel Car park:
 Does not satisfy any of the Heritage Council’s assessment criteria for inclusion in the Victorian Heritage
Register.
 Does not contain any heritage fabric that contributes to an appreciation of the cultural heritage
significance of the Mentone Hotel.
 Does not require more protective curtilage than is included in the current recommendation.
ASSESSMENT OF CULTURAL HERITAGE SIGNIFICANCE
Place 1: Mentone Hotel
Hermes Number: 197429
Place 2: Mentone Hotel Car Park
Hermes Number: 197528
Page 29 of 42
LOCAL GOVERNMENT AUTHORITY
Kingston
HERITAGE LISTING INFORMATION

Heritage Overlay:
Partly in HO77

Heritage Overlay Controls:
External Paint: Yes
Internal Alteration: No
Tree: No

No
Other listing:
HISTORY
The open space at the rear of the hotel provided an outlook for guests onto the beach area. It is likely this
outdoor area was used for recreational and relaxation purposes. The 1940 MMBW plan shows a tennis
court on this parcel of land which is no longer extant. It is not known when the tennis court was built or
removed. There is no evidence that any other built or landscape features were ever located on this land.
DESCRIPTION
This place currently contains the driveway for the drive through bottle shop and a car park for the Mentone
Hotel.
ASSESSMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE
The Mentone Hotel Car park does not satisfy any of the Heritage Council’s assessment criteria for inclusion
in the Victorian Heritage Register. The place has a very low potential to contain historical archaeological
remains associated with the construction of the tennis court of the activities of the Hotel.
Place 1: Mentone Hotel
Hermes Number: 197429
Place 2: Mentone Hotel Car Park
Hermes Number: 197528
Page 30 of 42
KEY REFERENCES USED TO PREPARE ASSESSMENTS
‘Illustrated Handbook of the Bay’, Melbourne 1876-77
‘Mentone the New Watering Place’, advertising pamphlet, Melbourne c1883
Argus, 4 October 1884, p 13, ‘Melbourne - its infancy and growth; Outer Melbourne’
Australasian Builders and Contractors News, 1 October 1887
Oakleigh Leader, 11 February 1899, p 3
MMBW Detail Plan 4223, Municipality of Mordialloc, 1940
B Raworth. City of Kingston Heritage Study, 2003
A Inglis. Beside the Seaside, Victorian Resorts in the Nineteenth Century, Melbourne 1999
L Gamble. Mentone through the Years. Mentone 2003
Place 1: Mentone Hotel
Hermes Number: 197429
Place 2: Mentone Hotel Car Park
Hermes Number: 197528
Page 31 of 42
ADDITIONAL IMAGES/MAPS
Map showing nominated place - the Mentone Hotel and the Mentone Hotel Car park (outlined in red).
Place 1: Mentone Hotel
Hermes Number: 197429
Place 2: Mentone Hotel Car Park
Hermes Number: 197528
Page 32 of 42
Aerial photograph of the Mentone Hotel and the Mentone Hotel Car park.
Place 1: Mentone Hotel
Hermes Number: 197429
Place 2: Mentone Hotel Car Park
Hermes Number: 197528
Page 33 of 42
MMBW Detail Plan 4223, 1940, showing the extent of the Mentone Hotel and the Mentone Hotel
Car park site.
Place 1: Mentone Hotel
Hermes Number: 197429
Place 2: Mentone Hotel Car Park
Hermes Number: 197528
Page 34 of 42
MMBW Detail Plan 4223, 1940 with Executive Director recommendations overlaid.
Place 1: Mentone Hotel
Hermes Number: 197429
Place 2: Mentone Hotel Car Park
Hermes Number: 197528
Page 35 of 42
North east elevation of hotel.
Detail of front tower.
Place 1: Mentone Hotel
Hermes Number: 197429
Place 2: Mentone Hotel Car Park
Hermes Number: 197528
Page 36 of 42
Detail of south west elevation.
South-west elevation showing rear drive-through bottle shop addition.
Place 1: Mentone Hotel
Hermes Number: 197429
Place 2: Mentone Hotel Car Park
Hermes Number: 197528
Page 37 of 42
Drive through bottleshop.
Driveway of bottleshop and car park from Beach Road side.
Place 1: Mentone Hotel
Hermes Number: 197429
Place 2: Mentone Hotel Car Park
Hermes Number: 197528
Page 38 of 42
Back of the hotel from Mentone Parade side.
View of car park from Mentone Parade side.
Place 1: Mentone Hotel
Hermes Number: 197429
Place 2: Mentone Hotel Car Park
Hermes Number: 197528
Page 39 of 42
Detail of internal staircase.
Detail of staircase and stairwell.
Place 1: Mentone Hotel
Hermes Number: 197429
Place 2: Mentone Hotel Car Park
Hermes Number: 197528
Page 40 of 42
Detail of bar area showing changes made to internal spaces.
Place 1: Mentone Hotel
Hermes Number: 197429
Place 2: Mentone Hotel Car Park
Hermes Number: 197528
Page 41 of 42
Stairwell at first floor level with ceiling light above.
Detail of original balcony, since enclosed.
Mentone Hotel c1908 [SLV].
Place 1: Mentone Hotel
Hermes Number: 197429
Place 2: Mentone Hotel Car Park
Hermes Number: 197528
Page 42 of 42
Mentone Hotel c1920s [City of Kingston Historical Society].
Mentone Hotel c1950s (renamed Edgewater Hotel at this time), note changes to lower curved bays and
balustrading above [SLV].
Place 1: Mentone Hotel
Hermes Number: 197429
Place 2: Mentone Hotel Car Park
Hermes Number: 197528