The Abbey Motel Goulburn
The motel was built on the site of the former St Patricks Tech at 55 Verner Street, Goulburn NSW. The “Tech” was a boys catholic primary and secondary school specialising in trade related vocations. The school had been running since the beginning of the 1900s and was sadly closed in the late 1990s. The site sat dominant for a period of around 20 years and, as you could imagine, fell into a state of severe disrepair. In step the new owners, who were committed to restoring the buildings to their former glory. In a process that took over four years, the two school buildings were painstakingly renovated to emerge as the magnificent monuments they are today. Both buildings are leased to commercial interests. The old school hall has been earmarked for future development as a café/restaurant/function centre.
The old school playground was a large chunk of land in the middle of the CBD of Goulburn and was screaming out to be utilised as a retail or accommodation venue one to rival the big chains like Mecure, Quest or Rydges. The owners opted to seek approval to build a motel on the site to take advantage of their many years of experience in service-based industries. Their vision was to create a destination unique in the Goulburn area, which a destination to services the most discerning clientele whilst providing great value for money. The most important factor was its ideal location. Alas The Abbey Motel became a reality and work commenced on the site in late 2018.
The design brief to the architects, Tim Lee and Associates, emphasised the importance of taking the essential elements of the old buildings into the motel to create a fully blended development which would complement and enhance the existing structures. The 100-year-old bricks were sourced from the same brick manufacturer, Bowral Bricks, who to this day supplies that same brick used by the Catholic Church in 1912. Similarly, the Spanish tiles from the original building were sourced through local distributors who stocked the same Spanish terracotta tile used all those years ago. When you look at the two buildings facing Verner Street you will notice a number of similarities between the old and the new which has captured the essence of the old design whilst still creating a totally functional and efficient motel design.
I think you will agree the overall result was a huge success and quite overwhelming in its architectural beauty. The interiors are of modern and chic design and provide the “wow factor”; over and above what you would normally find in a country motel. No expense was spared to make The Abbey Motel a truly unique accommodation experience. We believe the motel would be ideal for those looking for accommodation in connection with weddings or church functions.