Major refurbishment of Thurgoona's Kinross Woolshed edging closer

Kinross Woolshed, purchased by Astor Hotel owners Peter and Adrienne Griffiths in 2022, will be transformed by Melbourne firm Techne Architecture and Interior Design, which has a studio in Albury.

While Albury Council approval is yet to be granted, the planned renovations include the construction of six 10-pin bowling lanes, an upgraded playground and a permanent stage for live music and events.

Once finished, 10-pin bowling will be available in Albury for the first time in a decade after the closure of the Border city's bowling lanes next to the SS and A Club on Olive Street in 2014.

Mr Griffiths was optimistic construction could start early in 2024 and be finished around September.

"The hotel will trade all the way through the renovations, because it's such a large site, that's easily catered for," he said.

"We've had just as many letters of support as we did objections, but the objections were of minor significance."

Mr Griffiths said patronage at Kinross Woolshed had exceeded his initial expectations and he was confident of a good outcome once his 18th hospitality renovation got under way.

"I think it'll be something the whole region should be proud of once it's done. It's a significant investment," he said.

"We want to make it for everybody, but also a destination for events, not necessarily just music. Show and shines we've had out there have proven to be fantastic, there's been some great fundraisers that have been fun and also made a lot of money. Stalls, markets, festivals, it's limitless.

"We want to make sure that we've got the infrastructure there to accommodate the volumes of people, but they won't always be big events. There will be smaller community events too."

Techne associate director and Albury team leader Dana Hutchins said it was a unique project for the design business.

"We've never done a venue within the confines of a woolshed and we've never done a bowling alley," he said.

"This is the first time we've ever done a significant kids playground as well. That's also unique to this project, but in other ways it's quite similar to what we've done.

"We do a lot of these multi-venue hospitality spaces. Kinross has multiple venues within it with the front bar, a big bistro and function space, deck, a small gaming area and beer gardens.

"That is something that Techne has refined over many years as a characteristic of a lot of our large hospitality venues that we've done in Melbourne.

"It will definitely pay homage to the history of the woolshed. The heritage and historical references are really important for us to reference and definitely celebrate as well."

Along with its rejuvenation of the Astor, Techne recently transformed Albury's Monumental Ice Creamery, inspired by the classic Australian milk bar, and previously refurbished the cellar door at Wahgunyah's All Saints Estate, where it also built casual eatery, Bonnie.

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