Australian Town and Country Journal at KellyGang 22/6/1872 (5)
MENZIE'S HOTEL, MELBOURNE
MELBOURNE is great in hotels, and one of the most important (Menzies' Hotel) forms the subject of the accompanying engraving. It contains over 100 rooms, 12 parlours, 2 bars, and 2 billiard-rooms. The hotel has a frontage to William and Great Bourke streets, Melbourne; the frontage to the former is 120 feet, and to the latter 150 feet. It is built of stone and brick, cemented. Entering from Great Bourke-street, the visitor finds himself in a line lofty hall, ornamented with stags' heads, with splendid antlers. Treading a tessellated pavement, he passes the general coffee-room to the loft, and the "wool" - room to the right - two dining-halls, the latter used principally by squatters and merchants. The private bar is to the left, past which a second hall runs to the public bar and private apartments of the host, Mr. Menzies.
Still proceeding down the main hall, the smoking and writing rooms are passed, and the William-street private entrance is arrived at. from William-street, a paved verandah is first entered; two private parlours are on each side, and the manager's (Mr Bentley) office is in the vestibule. Ascending the first, flight of stairs, there are a number of well-furnished parlours running to the left; from every one of which there opens out a splendid view of Hobson's Bay and the shipping in the harbour. In each parlour there is a good pianoforte. The bedrooms are to the right, and are models of comfort, all being elegantly and sumptuously furnished. Bath-rooms, where shower, plunge, vapour, and "needle" baths may be had, are also on this floor.
The third flight also contains fine sleeping apartments, having suites of maplewood furniture. Besides the three storys, there are three turrets, resembling \ watch towers, on the hotel, rising from each corner; these are devoted to the servants. The hotel is built in almost the form of a square. The billiard-rooms are fitted with tables manufactured by Alcock, and celebrated as being built for the Duke of Edinburgh, surrounded by couches and cushioned scats, with pier glasses along the walls, sot off the rooms. Speaking tubes from the hall connect it with the upper storys, and bells are laid on to each sleeping apartment. The cuisine department, under the management of a clever French cook, is worthy of inspection, and contains elaborate appliances in steam and other arrangements for supplying the hotel.
A post-office is in the general office, and, as the wires pass the door, I understand that arrangements are being made for a telegraph branch to the hotel, as a large number of messages are sent from Menzies' almost hourly. And last, though not least, the hotel is under the charge of a capital manager, Mr. William Bentley, whose courtesy and civility to visitors is generally acknowledged. ]
MELBOURNE TO ECHUCA
Leaving Menzies' in a cab (cabmen make a charge of one shilling to all parts of the city), in three minutes I found myself at the Spencer-street railway station, and a few minutes afterwards whirling along in a railway train to Echuca. We soon came on to plains, and the Digger's Rest station was passed. A few miles beyond the sameness of the scenery was relieved by slightly undulating country, and a hill in the distance. Then came a few farms, another hill, the sides of which were covered with vineyards, and at the quiet village of Sunbury we pulled up.
After leaving Sunbury, the scenery became diversified, having some of the features of a pretty English landscape. Passing through some cuttings in the hill sides, and some lightly timbered country, a few farm houses came in view, whose inhabitants make it a point of rushing to their doors with the hopeless idea of seeing who is in the train. Plains, relieved by a few honeysuckles next appeared, and "Riddell's Creek" (station) is shouted out by the guard. This is a small township, with three churches and a number of poor-looking dwellings. Leaving it, we pass a few nice gardens, then a slight cutting, and some large hills opened out to view on our right. Some more comfortable-looking farm-houses, with hay-ricks and barns at their sides and rear, and "Gisborne " is called by the guard.
There is one good house in Gisborne, and, after some speculation, 1 have come to the conclusion that it is the residence of the king of the place. What village is without its king? The Mount Macedon station is next pulled up at. A few good houses are about. Mount Macedon is famed for its good timber and romantic scenery. In the distance is a curious natural formation called the Hanging Rock, the resort of many of the pleasure-seekers of the city. It is 800 feet high, and derives its name from masses of stone overhanging a precipice.
Woodend was the next station that appeared. It is a large village, or a small township, with a few good cottages in sight. Passing some beautiful country, in a few minutes we arrived at Carlsruhe and Tylden. The former is 2 miles, and the latter village 6 miles distant from the station. There was waged a furious war between the rival villages as to the name of the railway station, each village, for valid reasons, claiming the honour. The Government called the station both Carlsruhe and Tylden to settle the dispute. Resuming the journey, a number of nice farms attracted our attention, and the soil seemed to be exceedingly rich black alluvial.
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