Former "Royal George Hotel" Including Interiors

Item details


Name of item:	Former "Royal George Hotel" Including Interiors
Other name/s:	Patent Slip Inn
Type of item:	Built
Group/Collection:	Commercial
Category:	Hotel
Location:	Lat: -33.8702238366153 Long: 151.202264847624
Primary address:	115-117 Sussex Street, Sydney, NSW 2000
Local govt. area:	Sydney

All addresses

Street Address	Suburb/town	LGA	Parish	County	Type
115-117 Sussex Street	Sydney	Sydney			Primary Address

Statement of significance:


	The Royal George Hotel, a two storey face brick building in the Federation Free Style, has historic significance for continuing the traditions of the hotel trade from the early years of the nineteenth century, and for replacing an earlier hotel of the same name on the site. It has significance as part of the development of the early Sussex Street precinct and as part of the redevelopment of the Darling Harbour wharf areas. It is significant as a fine and largely intact external example of the style used in a prominent corner hotel. The building makes a strong contribution to the character of the immediate area. The hotel had significance as part of the network of small purpose built hotels providing a social / recreational venue and budget accommodation for the local community as well as the waterside worker but this is somewhat reduced with its closure. It reflects the social character of the area during the early years of the 20th century and is representative of the style used in a prominent corner hotel. The site may have some potential for scientific investigation due to its long usage, however the building itself holds little scientific value. The Royal George Hotel is one of eleven hotel buildings in the style within the city. The others are the Napoleon, the Sir John Young, the Welcome Inn, the Australian Hotels in Cumberland and Gloucester Streets, the Fosters, the Captain Cook and the Observer, the Palisade and the Read Raters Hotel. The most significant of these are the Palisade and the Napoleon, but the Royal George would be the next in significance after these and the Sir John Young.
	Date significance updated: 12 Jan 06
	Note: The State Heritage Inventory provides information about heritage items listed by local and State government agencies. The State Heritage Inventory is continually being updated by local and State agencies as new information becomes available. Read the Department of Premier and Cabinet copyright and disclaimer.

Description


Designer/Maker:	Unknown
Builder/Maker:	Unknown
Construction years:	1903-1903
Physical description:	The Royal George Hotel is a face brick building located on a prominent site at the corner of Sussex and King Streets. The two storey facade to Sussex Street drops away to the west to a four storey frontage to the recently realigned Day Street. The main frontage of the hotel to Sussex Street retains the original face brick and highly articulated moulded brick detailing to the upper floor but has been rendered to the ground floor facade. The original doors to the bars have been retained on this face and also the decorative small pane windows, but some areas of brickwork have been painted on the building. Recessed balconies feature to both the east and south facades. An arched window opening has been filled in on the south. The interior of the bars, the living areas and the bedrooms have been modified for use as restaurants and new kitchen facilities have been constructed on two floors. Some original internal fabric such as stairs, plaster decorative detailing, cornices and ceiling roses, fireplaces and leadlight windows have been retained. Category:Individual building. Style:Federation Free Style. Storeys:2 + 2 basement levels (Sussex Street); 4 ( Day Street). Facade:Face/ Brick; Rendered Ground Floor Facade. Side/Rear Walls:Face Brick. Internal Walls:Plastered brickwork. Roof Cladding:Terracotta tile; Corrugated steel. Internal Structure:Loadbearing walls; Reinf. conc. column and beam. Floor:Timber joists and boards; Reinf. conc. slabs. Roof:Timber framing. Ceilings:Fibrous plaster; Plasterbd.. Stairs:Timber stairs. Lifts:None.
Physical condition and/or Archaeological potential:	The building has been vacant for some time. Vegetation is growing from the external brickwork and the walls are cracked in places with some brickwork missing from the east facade. Internal walls on the northern side are water damaged with some structural cracking. Little of original fabric left in basement levels but ground and first floor contains original fabric..Intrusive Elements:Rendered and painted signage to facades, red painted doors to lower basement, nightclub fitout to lower basement, additional kitchens to upper floor and basement.
	Date condition updated:12 Jan 06
Modifications and dates:	Either 1903 or 1912 (awaiting info from brewery)
Further information:	High Significance:Form, scale and original fabric such as face brick, moulded brick and terra cotta detailing, timber windows and doors, original balconies and brick parapets, leadlight and small paned timber windows and doors, fireplace and wrought iron railing. Internal plaster decorative detailing, timber joinery, timber staircase, remaining original ceilings and cornices. Medium Significance:Modified layout and planning of bars and accommodation. Modified ceilings and walls. Low Significance:Kitchen fitout. Restaurant furniture and fittings to all floors. Heritage Inventory sheets are often not comprehensive, and should be regarded as a general guide only. Inventory sheets are based on information available, and often do not include the social history of sites and buildings. Inventory sheets are constantly updated by the City as further information becomes available. An inventory sheet with little information may simply indicate that there has been no building work done to the item recently: it does not mean that items are not significant. Further research is always recommended as part of preparation of development proposals for heritage items, and is necessary in preparation of Heritage Impact Assessments and Conservation Management Plans, so that the significance of heritage items can be fully assessed prior to submitting development applications.


Current use:	Hotel
Former use:	Hotel

History

Historical notes:

The "Eora people" was the name given to the coastal Aborigines around Sydney. Central Sydney is therefore often referred to as "Eora Country". Within the City of Sydney local government area, the traditional owners are the Cadigal and Wangal bands of the Eora. There is no written record of the name of the language spoken and currently there are debates as whether the coastal peoples spoke a separate language "Eora" or whether this was actually a dialect of the Dharug language. Remnant bushland in places like Blackwattle Bay retain elements of traditional plant, bird and animal life, including fish and rock oysters.

With the invasion of the Sydney region, the Cadigal and Wangal people were decimated but there are descendants still living in Sydney today. All cities include many immigrants in their population. Aboriginal people from across the state have been attracted to suburbs such as Pyrmont, Balmain, Rozelle, Glebe and Redfern since the 1930s. Changes in government legislation in the 1960s provided freedom of movement enabling more Aboriginal people to choose to live in Sydney.

(Information sourced from Anita Heiss, "Aboriginal People and Place", Barani: Indigenous History of Sydney City http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/barani )

The Royal George is located on a parcel of the original grant to James Edrop in 1837. A map of 1843 indicates that the Patent Slip Wharf and a building occupied the Sussex Street frontage. The Patent Slip Hotel was located on the north-west corner of Sussex and King Street, the site of the present Royal George Hotel. Around 1869, this site was vacant. The area of the Patent Slip occupied part of the western half of the present hotel site, used in the repair of small vessels. The first occupant of the Patent Slip was John Cuthbert in 1867. A second building on the site was leased to the publican of the Patent Slip Inn and may have been on the site of the present Royal George Hotel. This building was owned by James Edrop. In 1882 the Patent Slip Hotel changed its name to the New Wharf Hotel, then in 1888 to the Royal George Hotel. The property title was transferred to Edward John Edrop in 1896 and leased to Andrew Cockrane, who named it Cockrane's Hotel. The site of the present hotel was resumed by the State Government in 1900 after the outbreak of plague, which then passed to the Sydney Harbour Trust. It was leased by Edmund Resch, Sydney brewer in 1903, and to Maitland Brewing Co. in 1912. In 1904 Day Street was widened and extended ending the waterfront connection. Ownership of the site passed to the Maritime Services Board in 1939. They leased it to Tooth & Co. and the Licensee was Mary Glasheen. In 1969 the property was resumed by the Department of Main Roads for realignment of Day Street (Licensee Sidney Willis). In 1975 the Licensee was Colin Briggs; 1980 Kevin James; 1982 J. & L Ferris and C. James; 1984 P. Randall, P. and M. Lloyd. The property was put up for sale after 1984.

Historic themes

Australian theme (abbrev)	New South Wales theme	Local theme
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Commerce-Activities relating to buying, selling and exchanging goods and services	(none)-

Assessment of significance


SHR Criteria a) [Historical significance]	The Royal George Hotel has significance for continuing traditions of the hotel trade from the early years of the nineteenth century and for continuing from an earlier hotel of the same name on the site. It has significance as part of the development of the early Sussex Street precinct and as part of the redevelopment of the Darling Harbour wharf areas in the 1980s. Has historic significance locally.
SHR Criteria c) [Aesthetic significance]	The site may have some potential for scientific investigation due to its long usage, however the building holds little scientific value. Has aesthetic significance locally. Cultural:It is significant as a fine and largely intact example externally of the style used in a prominent corner hotel. The building is significant for its strong contribution to the character of the immediate area.
SHR Criteria d) [Social significance]	The building has significance as part of the network of small purpose built hotels providing a social / recreational venue and budget accommodation, located within a short distance of the waterfront and the city centre. It reflects the social character of the area during the early years of the 20th century. Has social significance locally.It is significant as a fine and largely intact example externally of the style used in a prominent corner hotel. The building is significant for its strong contribution to the character of the immediate area.
SHR Criteria g) [Representativeness]	The Royal George Hotel is representative of the style used in a prominent corner hotel which provided a social / recreational venue and budget accommodation. It is also representative as an example of the evolutionary process of a small corner hotel at the fringes of the city.
Assessment criteria:	Items are assessed against the State Heritage Register (SHR) Criteria to determine the level of significance. Refer to the Listings below for the level of statutory protection.

Recommended management:

General: The form, scale and external original fabric of the building above awning should be retained. All materials which were not originally painted such as face brick and terra cotta detailing should remain unpainted, while those materials which originally had a paint finish or are now painted could be repainted in complementary colours. Window and door openings should not be enlarged or filled in. As the facade of the building on the two street frontages remains largely intact there should be no alterations which adversely impact on the original fabric, break the skyline or rise above the parapet. Exterior: The original brick and terracotta detailing of the facades should be restored. As the facade at ground floor level on both Erskine and Sussex Street has undergone some modification, changes to this area could be acceptable but there should be no alterations to the southern facade which adversely impact on remaining original significant fabric such as face brickwork, timber windows and brick detailing. Interior: As the interior of the ground floor bars has been modified and they retain little original fabric, alterations to this area could be allowed but proposed works should not adversely impact on significant original fabric. All original detailing such as the marble fireplaces, hallway arches and original joinery on the upper floors should be retained and restored. All original leadlight windows should be restored. As there has been extensive modification of the public and saloon bars, accommodation and kitchen, proposals for alterations to these areas could be considered. As the building was recently used as restaurants this use could be continued but alterations should not adversely impact on remaining original significant fabric, and proposals for future redevelopment of the building should return additional kitchen areas to their earlier use if possible. The nightclub fitout to the lower basement should be removed. The building should be retained and conserved. A Heritage Assessment and Heritage Impact Statement, or a Conservation Management Plan, should be prepared for the building prior to any major works being undertaken. There shall be no vertical additions to the building and no alterations to the façade of the building other than to reinstate original features. The principal room layout and planning configuration as well as significant internal original features including ceilings, cornices, joinery, flooring and fireplaces should be retained and conserved. Any additions and alterations should be confined to the rear in areas of less significance, should not be visibly prominent and shall be in accordance with the relevant planning controls.

Listings

Heritage Listing	Listing Title	Listing Number	Gazette Date	Gazette Number	Gazette Page
Local Environmental Plan	Sydney Local Environmental Plan 2012	I1958	14 Dec 12
Heritage study

References, internet links & images

Type	Author	Year	Title
Written			Sands Directory 1860-1933
Written			Land Titles
Written	Anita Heiss		Aboriginal People and Place, Barani: Indigenous History of Sydney City
Written	Perumal Murphy Wu,	1994	Conservation Plan for Cuthbert's Slip

Note: internet links may be to web pages, documents or images.

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Data source


The information for this entry comes from the following source:
Name:	Local Government
Database number:	2423853

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