![The Wellington Hotel could be transformed into accommodation for poultry farm workers. Picture supplied The Wellington Hotel could be transformed into accommodation for poultry farm workers. Picture supplied](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/137578502/81f664af-a253-4863-a6bc-6073897a27da.jpg/r58_129_3216_2057_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
A historic hotel in Wellington - once a popular meeting place for travellers making their way inland from Sydney - is set to be transformed into co-living accommodation for farm workers.
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Under a development application submitted to the Dubbo Regional Council last week, the heritage-listed Wellington Hotel could provide accommodation for up to 16 workers at nearby poultry farms.
Poultry company Aviagen Australia purchased the building at 56 to 60 Swift Street in Wellington for $750,000 in November last year.
They say the conversion of the building for worker accommodation would not involve any "substantial changes" to the building's physical appearance and "will support the ongoing operation of rural businesses".
Existing outdoor and ground floor areas of the former hotel - including the former bar and lounge areas - will be utilised as communal spaces for the building's occupants including a living room, dining room and shared kitchen and bathrooms.
16 of the first floor rooms will be used to provide private accommodation as single and double rooms and the remaining suites of the former hotel will be used for storage.
This manager's residence on the ground floor of the former hotel will also be repurposed as a self-contained caretaker's residence, comprising three bedrooms, living room, private bathroom, office space and private open space.
Once converted, the building will likely occupy 20 residents, including those in the caretaker's residence.
A historically significant landmark in Wellington, the hotel was built in 1880 to welcome the first train coming to Wellington from Sydney through Orange, which arrived on the 1st of June 1880.
It became known as a place of gathering for people travelling overland to and from Dubbo as the railway had not yet been extended due to problems with the railway bridge across the Macquarie River.
Throughout its life the hotel has seen a number of name changes - to the Occidental Hotel in 1882, the Imperial Hotel in 1985, Anderson's hotel in 1901 and again to Muir's Hotel in 1909.
The Wellington Hotel continued operating as a licensed pub up until its recent sale.
A heritage assessment commissioned to accompany the development application said the adaptive reuse of the building as a co-living space would not be detrimental as it would encourage continued maintenance of the building and will not impact the building's design or contribution to the streetscape.
"While the ongoing use of the Hotel as a pub is the optimal heritage outcome, the proposed change of use to private accommodation is an acceptable, low impact use of the building that respects its heritage values," the heritage assessment said.
"The change of use will limit the accessibility of the interior of the building to the public but will not result in irreversible changes to the building that inhibit potential use of the building as a pub in the future."
The development application will remain on exhibition for public feedback until the 10th of April.
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