The George was established in 1857 in a small purpose-built building on the south side of Fitzroy Street, between Grey Street and Princes Street, opposite the St Kilda Railway Station. Several alterations and additions to the building over the next three decades saw it extended to the Grey Street corner.
By the early twentieth century the hotel had over 100 rooms and numerous bars, lounges and a dining room, which made it one of the leading hotels in Melbourne, and certainly the largest in the metropolitan area. Reflected in The George is St Kilda’s growth from the 1850s into Melbourne’s premier seaside resort, its subsequent decline in the mid-twentieth century into a seedy district of the metropolis, and its rebirth in recent years into a fashionable, exciting and diverse part of Melbourne.
The George Conservation Management Plan, prepared by Peter Andrew Barrett, will assist in the conservation of this St Kilda landmark, and ensure that its heritage value is correctly recognised, represented and interpreted.