Victoria Railway Hotel

The only way to describe the impact of the Victoria Railway Hotel on the streetscape of Invercargill is 'Impressive.' Though there are other large buildings in town, the long and low brick behemoth is parked on Leven Street like a grown up version of a Goldrush Saloon in a Goldrush town. And that's initially what it was.

The first iteration of this icon was a timber and corrugated iron one called 'Smith's, built in 1876 right by the railway on the wide boulevard of Leven, back when gold was the reason for coming to Invercargill. Like many early buildings of those wild days, it didn't last long. But the building that arose in it's place in 1896 was bigger, wiser, brick and bold, and has held it's own and then some in that spot ever since. Many early postcards of Invercargill portrayed the grandeur that was the Railway Hotel. Like many other Invercargill institutions it's designer was CJ Brodrick.

It never seemed to care that it only collects half a day of sunshine, as it was facing towards progress, the railway. And it still does't care that the neighbours have become retail warehouses like Spotlight and Repco, and a parking building. The Victoria Railway Hotel, as it is known now, still rents rooms at a respectable rate, still has a restaurant which fills up at night, and is as handsome as ever.

Heritage New Zealand has granted Category One status on account of the hotel long being a landmark in Invercargill; 'The building is a competent, well-mannered essay in Edwardian Free style commercial architecture, the qualities of which can be summarised in the free asymmetrical planning of the building and in the external composition of the facades impressing fitness of purpose.'

The present owners have restored it so completely that won a building conservation award from Council. You can still see the name of Mrs Watson, the original Publican, on the second floor exterior. The three storey extension portion dates to 1907, after another part was demolished having been accidentally built on a neighbouring plot. Gerrard's which was once the name of the hotel is now the name of the restaurant.

BOOK TO STAY AT THE VICTORIA RAILWAY HOTEL

Image Credits: Victoria Railway Hotel and Korora, Wikipedia, Public Domain