Victoria Public House

The Victoria Public House dates from approximately 1840 to 1850, with significant remodelling around 1897 to 1898 and further embellishment between 1955 and 1958, potentially by Bryan and Nonnan Westwood. It is constructed of stuccoed brick with slate roofs.

The building has a rounded frontage on an acutely angled corner site, rising four storeys high plus a basement, with additional bays fronting onto Strathearn Place and Sussex Place. The exterior features a high parapet and moulded bands. The upper floors are characterised by twelve-light glazing bar sash windows within moulded architraves. The first-floor bow window is tripartite, with brackets and an ironwork balcony. Windows of a similar style are found in the ground-floor bar areas. Cast-iron spearhead railings are present.

The long, narrow bar was originally divided into a corner snug at its Sussex Place end, with a fragment of the original partition remaining. The remaining areas formed two semi-defined lounges around a long counter featuring original pilastered frontwork, a frieze painted with scenes from Queen Victoria's life, including her Diamond Jubilee, and supporting columns. The bar back incorporates columns, a cornice, and decorative glass panelling. Dado panelling and inset prints and tiles are also present on the walls. The saloon on the Strathearn Place side includes corner cupboards flanking an elaborate fireplace and an overmantle mirror with foliate decoration. A neo-Adamesque fireplace was installed in the corner area during the 1955 remodelling.

A “Theatre Bar” was installed around 1958, utilising fittings from Shaw, Runtz and Ford’s demolished Gaiety Theatre (1902–3). This bar features balconies fronted by Corinthian columns, a counter displaying boards from various shows, and a bar back depicting the Gaiety Theatre. Two small box fronts are located in the corners. A dining room was adapted after 1955 in a neo-Queen Anne style, featuring panelling, a fireplace, and corner cupboards that may also be from the Gaiety Theatre.

The Victoria Public House is notable for its remarkably complete interior from the 1890s, enriched by the incorporation of elements from the Gaiety Theatre. This combination offers a rare insight into the revival of Victorian aesthetics, particularly within pub interiors, which began to emerge in the late 1950s.