Exploring Albury

John Dymond greatly enjoyed the weekend, and writes:

Like most people I talked to, I didn’t think that an architectural tour of Albury was possible, as I didn’t think the town possessed any architecture of any note. 

I had even stayed in Albury once, but on the outskirts of town, and so remained ignorant of the architectural gems hidden in the centre of town. 

However, October Long Weekend architectural tours conducted by the Twentieth Century Heritage Society have established a reputation for excellence such that, even though I would need to hobble along on a walking stick due to a recent injury, I was not going to miss it!

The trick, ladies and gentlemen, is when now taking the Albury off ramp from the motorway, after travelling along the main road, which is the old highway route, one has to turn into Dean Street to enter the town proper and this enjoy its delights.

One will then be greeted by remarkably intact streetscapes, a wealth of twentieth century architectural types, and evidence of a proud and thriving regional community.

The excellent condition of buildings in town reminds one of the very special town of Napier, that extraordinary architectural time capsule in New Zealand.

Evidence of the thoughtfulness and commitment of the townspeople cannot be related more clearly than by taking a trip up Monument Hill to the highest point in the town, where the mildly Art Deco war memorial, built in 1925, stands.

The nearby toilet block was not installed until the 1990s, but one could be forgiven for thinking that it was erected at the same time, as it effectively mimics the architectural style of the war memorial and thus achieves an architectural integration of the whole hilltop space.

Together with vibrant hotels and cafes, amongst which the Yardbird was a stand out, I cannot recommend a weekend away in Albury too highly, ideally armed with 20C President Roy Lumby’s magnificent tour booklet!