Captain Cook Hotel

Item details


Name of item:	Captain Cook Hotel
Type of item:	Built
Group/Collection:	Commercial
Category:	Hotel
Location:	Lat: -33.8588431077 Long: 151.2033412030
Primary address:	33, 35 Kent Street, Millers Point, NSW 2000
Parish:	St Philip
County:	Cumberland
Local govt. area:	Sydney
Local Aboriginal Land Council:	Metropolitan

Property description

Lot/Volume Code	Lot/Volume Number	Section Number	Plan/Folio Code	Plan/Folio Number
LOT	10		DP	843179

All addresses

Street Address	Suburb/town	LGA	Parish	County	Type
33, 35 Kent Street	Millers Point	Sydney	St Philip	Cumberland	Primary Address

Owner/s

Organisation Name	Owner Category	Date Ownership Updated
Crumar Pty Ltd	Private	03 May 99

Statement of significance:


	The Captain Cook hotel, a two storey rendered brick building in a subdued version of the Federation Free Style is situated on a corner towards the northern end of Kent Street. While the Captain Cook Hotel is one of the eleven hotel buildings in this style remaining in the city, it is possibly the least significant. The others are Moreton's Hotel and the Palisade which hold the most significance, the Sir John Young, the Australian Hotels in Cumberland and Gloucester Streets, the Observer Hotel, the Napoleon, the Royal George, the Fosters, and the Read Raters Hotel. The site has historic significance as part of the Australian Gaslight Co. and for its long continued association with the hotel trade since 1876. The building has social significance for the part it played in providing a social / recreational venue and budget accommodation in the immediate area and this significance is continued with its expanded services. It is an example of the evolution of the small scale corner hotel on the fringes of the city, and reflects the social character of the area during the early years of the 20th century. It is representative of the style used in a small corner hotel.
	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:	1860-1876
Physical description:	Rendered brick Rendered brick
Physical condition and/or Archaeological potential:	The building has retained the original facade but has been extensively modified internally. Recent extensions have also included the remodelling of remaining internal fabric. The interior of the building is in good condition but there are some bed joint c
Modifications and dates:	c1876


Current use:	Hotel/ Restaurant
Former use:	Aboriginal land, town lot, Gas Company facility, Terrace accommodation, Hotel

History

Historical notes:

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

Prior to European settlement the Millers Point area was part of the wider Cadigal territory, in which the clan fished, hunted and gathered shellfish from the nearby mudflats. Shellfish residue was deposited in middens, in the area known to the early Europeans as Cockle Bay; the middens were later utilised by the Europeans in lime kilns for building purposes. The Millers Point area was known to the Cadigal as Coodye, and Dawes Point as Tar-ra/Tarra (Sydney City Council, 2019).

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

Subject site:
The site of the Captain Cook Hotel was occupied by the Australian Gaslight Co in 1860.

Alfred Terrace:
Mr Henry Labat was living there in 1868 and by 1870 it was named Alfred Terrace and occupied by carpenters and shipwrights.

Captain Cook Hotel:
The site was occupied by Mrs McBride in 1873, and first known as the Captain Cook Hotel in 1876. The licensee William Bond remained publican until 1886-87 when he was replaced by John Craig.

The area bounded by the Harbour and Lower Fort, Windmill and Kent Streets was resumed by the Government in 1900 at the onset of the plague. The area was handed to the Sydney Harbour Trust for administration. During the early years of the twentieth century many hotels in the Millers Point / Darling Harbour precincts were demolished. The Captain Cook Hotel appears to have been one of these and was reconstructed by the Trust and leased to Tooheys & Co. in 1920.

The adjoining Millers Road was renamed High Lane in 1986 and a section of the site was resumed for road widening in 1991.

The Sands Directory records the following occupants of the Captain Cook Hotel; 1888-89: Louisa Leistikow; 1890: Bridget Corkoran; 1891Richard page; 1992-98: Alfred Cullen; 1899: Alfred Bird then Sarah Bird from 1901 -02; 1903-1916: Edward Brown; 1917: Taft Harvey; 1918-20: Thomas Brice; 1921-29: Alfred Hayes; 1930-32: Patrick Hastings.

Historic themes

Australian theme (abbrev)	New South Wales theme	Local theme
1. Environment-Tracing the evolution of a continent's special environments	Environment - naturally evolved-Activities associated with the physical surroundings that support human life and influence or shape human cultures.	Cultural - Coasts and coastal features supporting human activities-
1. Environment-Tracing the evolution of a continent's special environments	Environment - naturally evolved-Activities associated with the physical surroundings that support human life and influence or shape human cultures.	Changing the environment-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Commerce-Activities relating to buying, selling and exchanging goods and services	Developing Commercial Enterprise-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Commerce-Activities relating to buying, selling and exchanging goods and services	Innkeeping-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Environment - cultural landscape-Activities associated with the interactions between humans, human societies and the shaping of their physical surroundings	Developing local, regional and national economies-National Theme 3
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Environment - cultural landscape-Activities associated with the interactions between humans, human societies and the shaping of their physical surroundings	Landscapes of urban amenity-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Industry-Activities associated with the manufacture, production and distribution of goods	Energy supply industry-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Industry-Activities associated with the manufacture, production and distribution of goods	Manufacturing gas-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Accommodation-Activities associated with the provision of accommodation, and particular types of accommodation – does not include architectural styles – use the theme of Creative Endeavour for such activities.	Building settlements, towns and cities-National Theme 4
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Leisure-Activities associated with recreation and relaxation	Going drinking in bars or clubs-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Leisure-Activities associated with recreation and relaxation	Gathering at landmark places to socialise-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Leisure-Activities associated with recreation and relaxation	Activities associated with relaxation and recreation-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Leisure-Activities associated with recreation and relaxation	Going to the pub-

Recommended management:

General: The form and scale of the building should be retained. As the building has been extensively modified both externally and internally, alterations may be considered, but should not break through the skyline or rise above the parapet limits. Window and door openings should not be enlarged, reduced or filled in and any replacements should be in similar materials and styles. As the hotel continues a long unbroken tradition with the hotel trade, the traditional use of the bar should be continued. Other complementary uses such as restaurants could be considered for the upper floors . Exterior: All original fabric, such as timber windows and doors should be retained. Any future additions to the hotel should be in sympathy with the style and period of the building and retain the existing scale. Interior: As the hotel retains little original fabric internally, alterations could be considered. Any future work to the interior should be complimentary to any remaining original fabric of the ground floor bars.

Procedures /Exemptions

Section of act	Description	Title	Comments	Action date
57(2)	Exemption to allow work	Standard Exemptions	HERITAGE ACT 1977 ORDER UNDER SECTION 57(2) TO GRANT STANDARD EXEMPTIONS FROM APPROVAL I, Penny Sharpe, the Minister for Heritage, on the recommendation of the Heritage Council of New South Wales and under section 57(2) of the Heritage Act 1977: revoke the order made on 2 June 2022 and published in the Government Gazette Number 262 of 17 June 2022; and grant an exemption from section 57(1) of the Act in respect of the engaging in or carrying out the class of activities described in clause 2 Schedule A in such circumstances specified by the relevant standards in clause 2 Schedule A and General Conditions in clause 3 Schedule A. This Order takes effect on the date it is published in the NSW Government Gazette. Dated this 29th day of October 2025 The Hon Penny Sharpe MLC Minister for Heritage For more information on standard exemptions click on the link below.	Nov 7 2025

Standard exemptions for engaging in or carrying out activities / works otherwise prohibited by section 57(1) of the Heritage Act 1977

Listings

Heritage Listing	Listing Title	Listing Number	Gazette Date	Gazette Number	Gazette Page
Heritage Act - State Heritage Register		00511	02 Apr 99	27	1546
Heritage Act - Permanent Conservation Order - former		00511	07 Aug 87	129	4407
Local Environmental Plan	CSH Local Environmental Plan 4		07 Apr 00

References, internet links & images

Type	Author	Year	Title	Internet Links
Written	Sydney City Council	2000	Local Environmental Plan

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

(Click on thumbnail for full size image and image details)

Data source


The information for this entry comes from the following source:
Name:	Heritage NSW
Database number:	5045606
File number:	HC 86/2317

Every effort has been made to ensure that information contained in the State Heritage Inventory is correct. If you find any errors or omissions please send your comments to the Database Manager.

All information and pictures on this page are the copyright of Heritage NSW or respective copyright owners.