Queenscliffe. Looking across the beach and Port Phillip Bay. The Sorrento ferry is ready for departure to Mornington Peninsula. .
Queenscliffe (pop 3,000). After the pastoral era the Borough of Queenscliffe was declared in 1863 when the town was already a sizeable. Its location at the entrance to Port Phillip Bay was strategically important. Pilot boats helped ships navigate the dangerous entrance. The town had two lighthouses by 1863 as the early sandstone one of 1844 had been replaced by a white painted stone lighthouse in 1863. At the same time a black basalt second lighthouse was erected within the fort precinct. Some sources say with imported Scottish bluestone however, other sources say the black basalt came from Footscray! The first pilot to tend his services to shipping began work in 1838 and by 1840 the settlement had four pilots. They lived in tents on the shores and they helped with six major shipwrecks before 1863. It was a treacherous place during a storm. By the late 19th century pleasure boats plied the waters mainly across to Sorrento. But Queenscliffe was also fortified to protect Port Phillip Bay. In 1863 three guns were placed here and the first part of the fort was built between 1863 and 1869. Once the railway from Geelong reached the town in 1879 and troops could be quickly moved there if needed further fortifications were erected. Two gun batteries and the Fort were completed in 1882. Then a garrison of troops, engineers and naval men were stationed there. The keep was finished in 1885 and the defensive gorge was dug in 1886. The colonies especially feared attack from Russia in the 1880s. The troops remained in place from 1883 to 1946. It became a museum in 1982. The fishing village of Queenscliffe was surveyed and named after Queen Victoria in 1853. A town pier followed shortly after land sales. The first houses, a group of ten, were built in 1853 for the pilot service men. A school, hotel and church opened in 1854 and the post office gained a telegraphic link to Melbourne in 1855. The first Mechanic’s Institute was erected in 1859. When the borough council was formed in 1863 it had 250 residences. The town has three museums – the Historical Museum in the Info Centre (free); the Maritime Museum (about $10); and the Fort Museum highlights the strategic and military history ($12). In the 1880s Queenscliffe became a popular summer retreat for Melbournians and hotels and guest houses dotted the town. Holidaymakers arrived by train or steamer.
Vue Grand Hotel 46 Hesse St. This prime town location has been a hotel site since 1859. The Vue Grand was built in the early 1880s with polychromatic brick work, a central three storey squat tower and rounded windows. But a fire in 1927 destroyed part of the hotel which was rebuilt with a Mediterranean terracotta tiled roof in Art Deco style.
The Post Office was built in its present location at 47 Hesse St in 1887. Colonial architect G Austin designed the lavish building which cost of £3,000 to build. Additions in 1915 destroyed the symmetrical façade. Note the oriel window above the central entrance door and its Italianate appearance with the horizontal white rendered bands. The Public Library 55 Hesse St. This classical style 1880s building with Corinthian pilasters on the façade, perfect symmetry, rounded windows and entrance and balustraded roof line.
58 Hesse St. A classical style Victorian shop and upstairs residence. Note pediment along austere roof line.
Uniting Churches formerly Methodist. 79 to 83 Hesse St. This complex contains three churches – the original rendered Wesleyan Methodist of 1868, the adjoining Gothic Methodist Church of 1888 with buttress and arched central entrance and across the side road the St Andrews Presbyterian Church built in the late 1890s. An earlier built 1862 Presbyterian Church was demolished to make way for this new church.
Seaview House 86 Hesse St. was built in 1875 as a single storey greengrocer shop. In 1890 an upper floor was added and the house became the Seaview Coffee Palace to promote temperance and avoidance of alcohol.
Coombe Lodge 90 Hesse St. A typical 1880s two storey house. Occupied for many years by doctors for the town.
The timber railway station and master’s residence was erected in 1881. It was an unusual design for a rural location as the large waiting room was built to accommodate holiday throngs from Melbourne.
The Royal Hotel 38 King St. The first hotel opened on this site in 1854. This impressive Italianate structure with four storey tower, bay windows on each end, arcaded veranda and good symmetry typifies the hotels of the 1880s.
The Queenscliffe Hotel at 16 Gellibrand St. was built in 1887 in tuck pointed red brick with Queen Anne features such as the polygonal tower, and the extensive use of cast iron lace work to create an arched effect for the veranda. The sides have Dutch gables but overall the hotel looks very Australian in style. Located in Gellibrand St.
The Ozone Hotel 42 Gellibrand St. Built in 1881 as Baillieu House for wealthy banker, businessman and pastoralist James George Baillieu. This fine Italianate rendered building has a four storey tower, is mainly a three storey structure with a slater mansard roof and widow’s walk on the tower. The iron veranda post are exceptionally high giving a grander appearance. As tourists flocked to the town in the early 1880s Baillieu had it converted into the Ozone Hotel in 1887 and two more wings were added to it.
Lathamstowe House 44 Gellibrand St. This pair of two storey Italianate duplexes was built next to Baillieu’s house in 1883. It was built by successful brewer Edward Latham as a seaside house for Anglican clergymen and their families. Latham was related to the Baillieu family. Like Baillieu House it had a four storey tower and widow’s walk. The arcaded verandas with the end bay windows are typically Italianate in style.
Anglican Church 20 Hobson St. The architect designed church was built in local limestone in 1864. The stuccoed brick tower was added in 1878. The roof line is exceptionally steep and dominates the appearance of this fine Gothic building as it covers the nave and the side aisles. Work began on a parish hall in 1870 but this was not completed until 1902. The land for this church was donated by Governor La Trobe who loved Queenscliffe and had a cottage of his own there in the 1840s and 1850s.
Queenscliffe. Looking across the beach and Port Phillip Bay. The Sorrento ferry is ready for departure to Mornington Peninsula. .
Queenscliffe (pop 3,000). After the pastoral era the Borough of Queenscliffe was declared in 1863 when the town was already a sizeable. Its location at the entrance to Port Phillip Bay was strategically important. Pilot boats helped ships navigate the dangerous entrance. The town had two lighthouses by 1863 as the early sandstone one of 1844 had been replaced by a white painted stone lighthouse in 1863. At the same time a black basalt second lighthouse was erected within the fort precinct. Some sources say with imported Scottish bluestone however, other sources say the black basalt came from Footscray! The first pilot to tend his services to shipping began work in 1838 and by 1840 the settlement had four pilots. They lived in tents on the shores and they helped with six major shipwrecks before 1863. It was a treacherous place during a storm. By the late 19th century pleasure boats plied the waters mainly across to Sorrento. But Queenscliffe was also fortified to protect Port Phillip Bay. In 1863 three guns were placed here and the first part of the fort was built between 1863 and 1869. Once the railway from Geelong reached the town in 1879 and troops could be quickly moved there if needed further fortifications were erected. Two gun batteries and the Fort were completed in 1882. Then a garrison of troops, engineers and naval men were stationed there. The keep was finished in 1885 and the defensive gorge was dug in 1886. The colonies especially feared attack from Russia in the 1880s. The troops remained in place from 1883 to 1946. It became a museum in 1982. The fishing village of Queenscliffe was surveyed and named after Queen Victoria in 1853. A town pier followed shortly after land sales. The first houses, a group of ten, were built in 1853 for the pilot service men. A school, hotel and church opened in 1854 and the post office gained a telegraphic link to Melbourne in 1855. The first Mechanic’s Institute was erected in 1859. When the borough council was formed in 1863 it had 250 residences. The town has three museums – the Historical Museum in the Info Centre (free); the Maritime Museum (about $10); and the Fort Museum highlights the strategic and military history ($12). In the 1880s Queenscliffe became a popular summer retreat for Melbournians and hotels and guest houses dotted the town. Holidaymakers arrived by train or steamer.
Vue Grand Hotel 46 Hesse St. This prime town location has been a hotel site since 1859. The Vue Grand was built in the early 1880s with polychromatic brick work, a central three storey squat tower and rounded windows. But a fire in 1927 destroyed part of the hotel which was rebuilt with a Mediterranean terracotta tiled roof in Art Deco style.
The Post Office was built in its present location at 47 Hesse St in 1887. Colonial architect G Austin designed the lavish building which cost of £3,000 to build. Additions in 1915 destroyed the symmetrical façade. Note the oriel window above the central entrance door and its Italianate appearance with the horizontal white rendered bands. The Public Library 55 Hesse St. This classical style 1880s building with Corinthian pilasters on the façade, perfect symmetry, rounded windows and entrance and balustraded roof line.
58 Hesse St. A classical style Victorian shop and upstairs residence. Note pediment along austere roof line.
Uniting Churches formerly Methodist. 79 to 83 Hesse St. This complex contains three churches – the original rendered Wesleyan Methodist of 1868, the adjoining Gothic Methodist Church of 1888 with buttress and arched central entrance and across the side road the St Andrews Presbyterian Church built in the late 1890s. An earlier built 1862 Presbyterian Church was demolished to make way for this new church.
Seaview House 86 Hesse St. was built in 1875 as a single storey greengrocer shop. In 1890 an upper floor was added and the house became the Seaview Coffee Palace to promote temperance and avoidance of alcohol.
Coombe Lodge 90 Hesse St. A typical 1880s two storey house. Occupied for many years by doctors for the town.
The timber railway station and master’s residence was erected in 1881. It was an unusual design for a rural location as the large waiting room was built to accommodate holiday throngs from Melbourne.
The Royal Hotel 38 King St. The first hotel opened on this site in 1854. This impressive Italianate structure with four storey tower, bay windows on each end, arcaded veranda and good symmetry typifies the hotels of the 1880s.
The Queenscliffe Hotel at 16 Gellibrand St. was built in 1887 in tuck pointed red brick with Queen Anne features such as the polygonal tower, and the extensive use of cast iron lace work to create an arched effect for the veranda. The sides have Dutch gables but overall the hotel looks very Australian in style. Located in Gellibrand St.
The Ozone Hotel 42 Gellibrand St. Built in 1881 as Baillieu House for wealthy banker, businessman and pastoralist James George Baillieu. This fine Italianate rendered building has a four storey tower, is mainly a three storey structure with a slater mansard roof and widow’s walk on the tower. The iron veranda post are exceptionally high giving a grander appearance. As tourists flocked to the town in the early 1880s Baillieu had it converted into the Ozone Hotel in 1887 and two more wings were added to it.
Lathamstowe House 44 Gellibrand St. This pair of two storey Italianate duplexes was built next to Baillieu’s house in 1883. It was built by successful brewer Edward Latham as a seaside house for Anglican clergymen and their families. Latham was related to the Baillieu family. Like Baillieu House it had a four storey tower and widow’s walk. The arcaded verandas with the end bay windows are typically Italianate in style.
Anglican Church 20 Hobson St. The architect designed church was built in local limestone in 1864. The stuccoed brick tower was added in 1878. The roof line is exceptionally steep and dominates the appearance of this fine Gothic building as it covers the nave and the side aisles. Work began on a parish hall in 1870 but this was not completed until 1902. The land for this church was donated by Governor La Trobe who loved Queenscliffe and had a cottage of his own there in the 1840s and 1850s.