Individual Hotel Details

by | 6 Dec, 2015

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Hotel:Duke of Albany Hotel

Suburb:

Abbotsford

Hotel Address:

323 Victoria Street,
Abbotsford 3067
Australia
Map It

Hotel ID No

28

Most Recent Name:

Duke of Albany Hotel (1883 - c.1987)

Previous Name(s):

Simpson's Hotel (1853-1883)

When Built/Licenced:

1853

When Delicensed:

c.1987, re-licensed 2025

Status of Building:

Cafe bar and restaurant

Rebuilt/Altered:

19th century, possibly around the time of the name change; remodelled in Moderne style in the inter-war years.

Heritage Victoria Register:

N/A

National Trust Register:

N/A

Collingwood Conservation Study 1989 & 1995:

N/A

City of Yarra Heritage Review 1998:

N/A

City of Yarra Review of Heritage Overlay Areas, 2007 & Heritage Database:

N/A

Maps:

Kearney 1855: Y ; Hodgkinson 1858: Y ; MMBW: Detail Plan 1311, 1901

Comments:

The earlier hotel, whose name recalls the original name of Victoria Street - Simpson's Road - was built of bluestone (Rate Book 1864). It has undergone many changes since then, being re-built in brick, remodelled in the 1930s, and remodelled yet again to suit the demands of the Vietnamese restaurant trade in the 1980s and then the cafe/bar trade of the 2000s. Like so many old commercial buildings, the ground floor exterior ends up bearing very little resemblance to the older building, while a view of the upper storey clearly reveals its origins.

After a hiatus of almost 40 years, and expenditure of close to $1 million, the premises is about to re-open (2026) as a pub with a grand opening celebration on 6 March 2026. It is fondly referred to as 'The Duke' by the new proprietors, Ace Int. Pty Ltd (nominee David Meyer).