Hotel St George

The Hotel St George, situated at 124 Willis Street, is one of several outstanding examples of the Art Deco style located in Wellington.

In the 1850s the Union Bank of Australia built a branch here. In 1877 the bank building was bought by the famous early settler and businessman John Plimmer who converted it into one of Wellington’s most celebrated hotels. On the facade were the carved impressions, in timber, of the faces of prominent Wellingtonians of the time, including Plimmer himself.

In 1929 the property was bought by the Grand Central Buildings Ltd who demolished the hotel. The hotel was designed by William Prouse and its vertical proportions enhance its townscape significance. The Hotel St George opened in December 1930 to considerable fanfare. THe photo on the right shows the hotel not long after it opened.

It operated as a hotel for the following 65 years, although it was seconded for use as a base by American marines during World War II. Probably its most famous guests were the Beatles in 1964.

In 1994 the building was converted into a student hostel. The building’s main facades are full of visual interest, particularly in the skilful integration of its various facets — podium, bays and recessed balcony — and the clever use of decorative mouldings that enliven the main elevations and give the building its pronounced verticality.

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Sources

• Wellington City Council Art Deco trail
• Image credit F. Alexander Library, Wellington

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