"Bristol Arms" Hotel Including Interior

Item details


Name of item:	"Bristol Arms" Hotel Including Interior
Other name/s:	Welcome Inn Hotel; Bristol Arms Hotel
Type of item:	Built
Group/Collection:	Commercial
Category:	Hotel
Location:	Lat: -33.86939957156 Long: 151.202083509817
Primary address:	81 Sussex Street, Sydney, NSW 2000
Local govt. area:	Sydney

All addresses

Street Address	Suburb/town	LGA	Parish	County	Type
81 Sussex Street	Sydney	Sydney			Primary Address

Statement of significance:


	The Bristol Arms Tavern, formerly the Welcome Inn, is located at the western edge of the city and constructed of face brick and render in the Federation Free Classical style. It has significance as part of the network of small purpose built hotels providing a social / recreational venue and budget accommodation within a short distance of the waterfront and the city centre. The Bristol Arms is one of five hotels of this style in the city, the others being the Metropolitan, the Harbour View, the Lismore and the Ship Inn. It has significance for continuing traditions of the hotel trade from the last few years of the nineteenth century, and as part of the redevelopment of the area after the reconstruction of the Darling Harbour wharves. It is representative as an example of the evolutionary process of a small corner hotel at the fringe of the city. Although the facades of the building have been modified, they retain some aesthetic significance due to the simplified classical ornamentation which reflects the social character of the area.
	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:	1898-1898
Physical description:	The Bristol Arms Hotel located on Sussex Street near the former waterfront area of Darling Harbour is a small scale building featuring subdued classical detailing in the Federation Free Classical style. A prominent cement balustrade parapet with an arched pediment carries the date of construction. The facade below awning and two side walls are now rendered. The door openings appear original but the doors and windows on the ground floor have been replaced. The interior of the bar has been opened up with the bar moved to the southern side of the space and an opening formed in the rear wall to access the extensive additions to the rear. The new building is a concrete framed structure column and beam with concrete floors. The first floor of the original hotel has been cut horizontally and another floor level included in the original building height. The interior of the upper floor has been completely rebuilt with new access stairs and a lift servicing both buildings from the centre of the site. Category:Individual building. Style:Federation Free Classical. Storeys:3 + cellar. Facade:Loadbearing brickwork; Reinf. conc. column & beam (addition). Side/Rear Walls:Loadbearing brickwork; Reinf. conc. column & beam (addition). Internal Walls:Loadbearing brickwork; Reinf. conc. column & beam (addition). Roof Cladding:Reinf. conc. slab, ceramic tiles, Fibre cement shingles (addition). Internal Structure:Loadbearing brickwork, Reinf. conc. column & beam (addition). Floor:Timber joists and boards, Reinf, conc, slab (addition). Roof:Reinf, conc, slab; Timber framing. Ceilings:Plasterbd. Plaster on soffit. Stairs:Yes original timber stain to basement in original building, Reinf. conc. stair to addition.. Fire Stairs:Reinf. conc. stair.. Sprinkler System:Yes. Lifts:Yes (Basement to roof). AirConditioned:Yes
Physical condition and/or Archaeological potential:	The exterior and interior of the original hotel building has been recently upgraded. Intrusive Elements:Additional window openings to top of south wall.
	Date condition updated:12 Jan 06
Modifications and dates:	c. 1898
Further information:	High Significance:Form, scale, and original fabric and rendered decoration. Cast iron columns to bar, Timber windows to front and side facade. Continuing use of the building as a hotel from the last few years of the nineteenth century. Low Significance:Modern additions to rear of hotel, modern bar counter, fittings and furniture. Modern fitout to upper floors of hotel. 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 area along the western side of Sussex Street was occupied from an early date with houses. The Sands Directory records the site of the Bristol Arms Tavern occupied by Henry Ash (carpenter) in 1860. The Patent Slip Inn was sited a few blocks further south and the Bristol Arms Hotel first appeared in 1865-66 at No. 69 Sussex Street. The area immediately behind these buildings was the Darling Harbour waterfront (formerly named Cockle Bay) occupied by the Patent Slip wharf since c1833. Sussex Street was the main thoroughfare between the wharves and the town. The immediate area was resumed by the Government in 1900 after the outbreak of plague, and placed under the control of the Darling harbour Resumptions Advisory Board. Control then passed to the Sydney Harbour Trust and in 1939 to the Maritime Services Board. The current Bristol Arms Tavern was built c. 1898. The old Bristol Arms Tavern was probably demolished around this time although no record has been located to confirm these details.

The Sands Directory lists John Booth as licensee (1865-66), and James Blair (1867-69). Francis Blair succeeded him between 1870-1886. The hotel was operated by a succession of publicans between 1887 to1905. In 1906-08 the hotel was run by Ellen Keyes and named Keyes Hotel, but reverted to the name Bristol Arms in 1907. The building continued to function as a hotel until 1969, when the property was resumed by the Department of Main Roads as part of the realignment of Day Street. From this point it became known as the Welcome Inn Hotel. 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 Bristol Arms Tavern has significance for continuing traditions of the hotel trade from the last few years of the nineteenth century. It is significant as part of the redevelopment of the area after the reconstruction the Darling Harbour wharves Has historic significance locally.
SHR Criteria c) [Aesthetic significance]	Has aesthetic significance locally. Cultural:The building has significance for the remaining external facades which although modified, retain some aesthetic quality of the simplified classical ornamentation.
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.The building has significance for the remaining external facades which although modified, retain some aesthetic quality of the simplified classical ornamentation.
SHR Criteria g) [Representativeness]	It 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:

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. T General: The form and scale of the building should be retained. As the original hotel building has remained largely intact externally any future alterations to the original building should not break through the skyline or rise above the parapet limits. Alterations could be allowed to the addition but these should be kept in sympathetic scale to the old hotel. Window and door openings should not be enlarged or filled in and any repairs or replacements should be in similar materials and styles. As the hotel continues a long tradition with the hotel trade proposed future uses should retain the traditional use. All original external fabric such as face brick, sandstone and ceramic tiling which was originally unpainted should remain unpainted, while those materials which originally had a paint finish could be repainted in appropriate colours Exterior: All original fabric, such as face brick and render detail should be retained. Interior: As the ground floor of the hotel now retains little original fabric internally, alterations could be considered, but future proposals should retain the cast iron columns and remaining pressed metal ceilings. Any future work to the interior should retain any significant original fabric of the upper floors.

Listings

Heritage Listing	Listing Title	Listing Number	Gazette Date	Gazette Number	Gazette Page
Local Environmental Plan	Sydney Local Environmental Plan 2012	I1955	14 Dec 12
Heritage study

References, internet links & images

Type	Author	Year	Title
Written	Anita Heiss		Aboriginal People and Place, Barani: Indigenous History of Sydney City
Written	Graham Brooks and Associates.	1998	Government Printing Office and AML & F site : heritage assessment
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:	2423913

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