Who goes there?

Our built heritage may not be old by other’s standards but many of our fabulous historic properties still pack an atmospheric punch as Alison Plummer reports.

Growing up in a farmhouse dating from 1580 on the very edge of England’s wild Dartmoor provided me with a solid background in all things ephemeral – and I have remained highly tuned to my surroundings, whether they be atmospheric landscapes or buildings with ‘a past’!

Footsteps on the stairs when there’s no-one to be seen, cool corners where the air is dense with another’s presence and chairs with strange vibes that have to be removed from my hotel bedroom are just some of the carry-on my long-suffering family and friends have had to put up with. And please don’t ask me about Uncle Len…

Of course travel writing has led me to many atmospheric properties around the world such as the castle in Scotland where I was drawn to a particular area only to find years later that my husband’s ancestor was the gamekeeper there. Or the palace in India with the most peculiar staircase.

Australia has brought its own challenges with its dramatic, awesome landscape on such a large scale. And, as far as buildings go, I have learnt they certainly don’t have to be 500 years old to be atmospheric. The latest news is that after an ultra modern phase travellers are once again craving the atmosphere of the old with some wonderful properties currently being restored and enhanced especially for the hospitality industry.

On a visit to Ballarat once I was most fascinated by one of the doorways in my bedroom and would not have been at all surprised to see an apparition pass through it, Victorian ballgown and all. Certainly there must be many ghosts in this famous Gold Rush town and, who knows, you might encounter one staying at Craig’s Royal Hotel.

Dating from 1862 with a glittering past, Craig’s has just enjoyed a multi-million dollar refurbishment to ensure an equally bright future. An icon of the Victorian era and the setting for dazzling social events in its ornate ballroom, Craig’s has welcomed many famous names. Dame Nellie Melba performed from the balcony in 1908 while a string of Dukes and Duchesses enjoyed its magnificent hospitality as well as the likes of cricketing legend Sir Donald Bradman who was a more recent fan of the hotel.

You may or may not encounter Dame Nellie but you will enjoy the luxurious rooms and suites and the lengths owners John and Mary Finning have gone to with the restoration.

Towering heights

In England we had a TV program called ‘Are Your Being Served’ based on fashion store and I had no idea that, across the other side of the world one day, I would encounter Grace Bros. Nothing spooky about that, you might say, but there is something fascinating about those Broadway towers from the former Grace Bros building, especially the one on the right.

Across town, The Grace Hotel Sydney is celebrating its 10th birthday, but the historic building it inhabits dates back to the glory days of 1930 when it was built by the Grace Brothers. Modelled on the famous Chicago Tribune building in Neo Gothic style, the Grace Building is one of Sydney’s best known examples of pre-second-world-war architecture with a tower and an Art Deco interior.

An office building until it was acquired by the Low Yat Group in 1995, it has been meticulously restored to maintain its iconic features but with the cutting edge technology and facilities we expect of modern hotels today.

Every era wants to create a legacy and 1880s Brisbane has left us with the iconic Port Office. Built in Victorian Classical revival style with ornate Italianate Palazzo features and a magnificent timber staircase it is now Siggi’s at The Port Office, the signature restaurant of the Stamford Plaza Brisbane.

You don’t have to be a clairvoyant to understand Siggi’s history with all its maritime memorabilia, walls decorated with handcrafted Italian and Lebanese mosaic, burnished timber bench tops and panelling, brass fittings and, of course, a chandelier, but isn’t it great that a building like this can now be enjoyed and experienced by the public?

While older stone and timber buildings tend to have atmosphere, there’s no doubt that glass and steel structures can have their own particular foibles, too. The Hitchcock film North By North West features a dramatic ‘set’ house cantilevered off a cliff in the manner of architect Frank Lloyd Wright and I never fail to be spooked by one particular view of it in a scene showing the clifftop house from underneath.

There really aren’t any boundaries as I have also spent a memorably sleepless night in a swag in a hidden gorge lined with ancient rock etchings in the Flinders Ranges listening to the murmuring and singing of the wind and, like most people felt things like the incredible vibes at Uluru and the resonating atmosphere in many a Buddhist Temple.

But back to Uncle Len…well, since you ask, the story involves a postman, a telegram and a haunted dining room in an historic coaching inn but, on second thoughts, I really don’t think you would believe the rest!