Flinders St & Russell Street Melbourne Unrestored
Step back in time with our collection of raw historic pieces, each one a potential candidate for digital restoration, printing, and framing. Should you find something captivating for your home, simply place the custom order through our Custom Order Product with our online store. Just copy the title below the desired item, and the listed prices already include the restoration fee. For further inquiries and customisation options, don't hesitate to reach out to us via our Contact form.
Duke of Wellington
Named after the fighting Duke of Wellington, aka the 'Hero of Waterloo' who beat Napoleon and went on to become English Prime Minister.
The Duke has a rich history including former ownership by football legend Brian 'The Whale' Roberts. The moniker 'Have an ale with the whale' resonates strongly with Melbournians. Roberts was a publican and for many years had a hotel in South Melbourne. "Have a ale with the Whale" was his motto. In the 1990s he took over the licensee of the Duke of Wellington Hotel in Flinders St, as well as writing newspaper columns and radio football commentary. He died on 6 August 2016. < Although it’s a great Melbourne’s history piece. I would not be able to source photos due to copyright age.
Mac’s Hotel is the oldest surviving purpose-built hotel in continuous use in the city. What that means is that some pubs are older, but were not originally built as hotels such as Oddfellows (1849) and Duke of Wellington (1850). Other pubs may be older but no longer trade as pubs, such as the Black Eagle (1849) and Tavistock House (1850). Anyway, by my measures Mac’s Hotel is the 5th oldest pub and equal 15th oldest building in the city.
The Duke of Wellington Hotel, Named after the Duke of Wellington, is a heritage listed hotel, standing on the north-east corner of Russell and Flinders streets since 1850. The Duke of Wellington Hotel could well be the oldest hotel in the central city still trading in the original building. Builder Timothy Lane (a local businessman and carpenter) originally constructed it as his house, but apparently changed his mind and attempted to have it licensed. The 14-room, two-storey brick building was used as a boarding house with a liquor licence unsuccessfully applied for in 1851 and 1852. It was a boarding house when Richard Dalton obtained a liquor licence in 1853. For most of the 1860s the licensee was Louis John Michel who in 1851 had been the first to publish the discovery of a goldfield at Warrandyte. The hotel was known for its beautiful situation facing the Yarra River until cut off by the advent of the railway.
In store already: https://www.historicprints.com.au/shop/melbourne