Albany House
| Albany House | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Former names | Union Bank, QBE Insurance |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Victorian Regency |
| Address | 119-125 York Street |
| Town or city | Albany |
| Coordinates | 35°01′36″S 117°53′00″E / 35.0267°S 117.8834°E |
| Construction started | 1884 |
| Completed | 1884 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | George Charles Inskip |
| Main contractor | Charles Keyser |
| References | |
| Heritage Council of Western Australia | |
Albany House is a heritage listed building located on the corner of Stirling Terrace and York Street overlooking Princess Royal Harbour in Albany in the Great Southern region of Western Australia.
The building was originally constructed as the Union Bank building, and completed in 1884. The banking chamber occupied the ground floor while the manager's residence took up the first floor.
The two storey building was built in the Victorian Regency style; it is constructed from load-bearing masonry that has been rendered and painted. A rendered plinth at the base of the building is continuous around the main facade and is deepest at the truncated corner as the site slopes to the south. A single storey wing extends from the western side to the boundary with the London Hotel. The building has a dominant square form with a truncated corner, where the main entrance is located, at the intersection of Stirling Terrace and York Street. A decorative frieze stringcourse is found between the ground and first floors with further horizontal mouldings. The two street facades are identical and broken into bays by the pairing of the arched windows. The north facing balcony has timber flooring and a balustrade of cast iron panels. The building is topped with corrugated iron roofing concealed behind a parapet. Chimneys with moulded tops and a flagpole at the south east corner top the building.
A branch of the Union Bank was opened in 1878 by the General Manager, John Franklin McMullen. The Commercial and National Banks both also had branches in the town. McMullen then acquired the present site in 1879. With the construction of the Great Southern Railway and the economic future of Albany looking secure planning started to construct new premises.
The building was designed by architect George Charles Inskip in 1884. Inskip had also designed the Union bank buildings in Perth, Fremantle. Roebourne and Geraldton. Tenders for the Albany building were called for later the same year with the foundation stone laid in August. It was built by Charles Keyser, who also constructed Vancouver House, another heritage listed building further down Stirling Terrace.
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