Bulletin Place Restaurant

Item details


Name of item:	Bulletin Place Restaurant
Other name/s:	San Francisco Restaurant
Type of item:	Built
Group/Collection:	Commercial
Category:	Warehouse/storage area
Location:	Lat: -33.8624783421 Long: 151.2094948860
Primary address:	6-8 Bulletin Place, Sydney, NSW 2000
Parish:	St James
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	B		DP	110204

All addresses

Street Address	Suburb/town	LGA	Parish	County	Type
6-8 Bulletin Place	Sydney	Sydney	St James	Cumberland	Primary Address

Owner/s

Organisation Name	Owner Category	Date Ownership Updated
A J Richardson Properties Pty Ltd	Private

Description


Construction years:	1880-
Physical description:	Three storey brick Victorian Free Classical style building. This building is one of three former adjacent warehouses in Bulletin Place. It is built of loadbearing brickwork, finished in stucco lined to simulate ashlar and decorated in a Free Classical manner and painted. The symmetrical facade is embraced by slender pilasters with debased Corinthian capitals, topped by a parapet treated as an entablature with a bracketed frieze. The floor levels are marked by string courses embellished with paterae. Windows are double hung sashes with bracketed stone sills. The wide doorway (original loading doorway) has a segmented arch head with stone impost blocks. The roughly finished north-west end wall indicates where this building continued as part of 2 Bulletin Place, now demolished. The internal structure, three bays wide and two bays deep, has chamfered timber storey posts, girders and joists. The roof is supported on posts tenoned into a beam. The ceiling is lined with boards and there is a single rooflight. There is a timber stair of two flights. Category:Individual Buildings. Style:Victorian Free Classical. Storeys:3. Facade:Painted Stucco; Timber Framed Windows & Doors. Side/Rear Walls:Painted Brick. Internal Walls:Painted Brick; Timber Studs with Plasterboard. Roof Cladding:Inaccessible but believed to be corrugated steel. Internal Structure:Timber posts & girders. Floor:Timber joists. Roof:Timber rafters. Ceilings:Lining boards; plasterboard. Stairs:Timber. Sprinkler System:Yes. Lifts:No. General Details:This building is in good condition, externally and internally. The survival of this building and two adjacent warehouses, all on shallow sites in a narrow street, retains a tiny part of an historic streetscape. Internally the timber posts and some of the girders are still visible, although interior fittings and surfaces have in recent years been adapted for use as a souvenir shop (LEP, 2005)
Modifications and dates:	Intrusive Elements:Illuminated vertical projecting and wall signs.


Current use:	souvenir sales offices
Former use:	Aboriginal land, town lot, warehouse, restaurant

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

The street marks the side boundaries of allotments which first appeared on James Meehan's map of 1807, sloping down to the Tank Stream from the street that became Macquarie Place.

The site was part of the grant of 1 acre 37 - 1/2 roods made by Governor Macquarie to Andrew Thompson on 1 January 1810. It seems that Mary Reibey, one of the best known early merchants, also owned the land at one time (LEP, 2005). Thompson was a wealthy emansibipst merchant and a favourite of the then Governor, Captain Bligh. When he died in september 1818, the land was sold to William Browne, a Sydney merchant, for 1075 pounds. He sold it to Prosper de Mestre in 1828 for 2100 pounds. De Mestre was a prominent mercantile and public figure, but later fell into financial trouble in the early 1840s depression. The land was taken from him and sold to an Eleanor Terry who let it to tenants.

The first reference to 'Bulletin Place' was in Sands Sydney Directory in 1867, when it was described as a lane. By 1870 it had been upgraded into a passageway, and in 1890 it was recorded as Bulletin Place. Bulletin Place is the only Sydney thoroughfare named after a publication, for it was here that J F Archibald's famous weekly "The Bulletin" was published for many years following its foundation in 1880 (LEP, 2005). The Bulletin owned stores and offices at the intersection of the passageway with Pitt Street. Bulletin Place is situated on land reclaimed from the mouth of the historic Tank Stream, which today runs underneath Pitt Street. The Bulletin remained in this location until 1897, when it moved to newer and larger offices in George Street (Sing, 1988).

The warehouse was erected before 1880, it appears in Percy Dove's Sydney map of that year. Its basic form suggests an earlier date of construction. From 1880 to 1884 it was occupied by Mrs Eliza Tinsley, ironmonger. Merchant brothers Mahlon Clarke and Thomas Cowlishaw acquired the property in March 1888 from Edward Terry. The Cowlishaw Bros. were heavily involved in the coal trade. A c1920s photo indicates that this building was part of a larger warehouse that extended to Pitt Street demolished in 1965 for the construction of Export House (LEP, 2005).

Other companies which have occupied the warehouses along Bulletin Place are: Sandy & Co. Glass, Oil & Colour Stores; Chard Marshall; J.C.Steel Tanners; Harrison & Whitton Skin & Produce Merchants; and the Sydney Volcanic Aerated Water Company (Sing, 1988).

In later years it was used for a variety of purposes including manufacturing and commercial operations, and in the 1960s became a restaurant and cocktail bar. Its facade was restored in 1973. Northbourne Developments bought the three Bulletin Place warehouse properties 6-8, 10-12 and 14-18 in 1986 (LEP, 2005). In 1988 they renovated these three warehouses using Clive Lucas, Stapleton & Partners heritage consultants) and constructed a $150million dollar retail and office complex on the corfner adjoining Macquarie Place development at the end of the street on the corner of Macquarie Place. The major development complex was due for completion in March 1990. The oldest building (16-18 Bulletin Place) leased to Len Evans Wine Co.) was established around 1895 as a two storey warehouse belonging to Austin's Stores. The second-oldest (6-8 Bulletin Place) leased by Bulletin Place restaurant) was originally owned by Elliot Bros. Druggists and then beame the premises of Tinsley Ironmonger. The third warehouse, is 10-14 Bulletin Place, on the corner of Pitt Street, (leased to the Len Evans Wine Company) was established around 1895 as a two storey warehouse belonging to Austin & Co.. Sydney City Council paved both Bulletin Place and Macquarie Place turning them into pedestrian walkways (Sing, 1988).

Its present use as a souvenir business commenced in 1993 (LEP, 2005).

In 2022 speculation arose on the future remaking of Circular Quay. A fully fledged revamp is speculated to be part of the June budget, with Cities Minister, Rob Stokes MP urging the government to be bold, despite mounting pressure on the state's finances that will mean some major infrastructure projects are delayed. An investment decision on the long-awaited Circular Quay Renewal Projct is now 'imminent': the most dramatic option would allow the Cahill Expressway to eventually be turned into a pedestrian 'High Line'. At a minimum, the ferry wharves must be replaced as they are nearing the end of their life. But a more ambitious renewal plan would involve the railway station, retail precinct and surrounding public space, costing billions. 'All the planning work's done. I think everyone think's it's a really good thing to do', Stokes told the Herald... Lord Mayor Clover Moore on 2/5/2022 will (formally) open the AMP Capital's Quay Quarter development, a 10-year project encompassing two city blocks that includes the revamped Quay Quarter Tower on Bridge Street and the adjacent Quay Quarter Lanes, a shopping and dining precinct containing the mega-venue Hinchcliff House (Koziol, 2022).

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.	Changing the environment-
2. Peopling-Peopling the continent	Aboriginal cultures and interactions with other cultures-Activities associated with maintaining, developing, experiencing and remembering Aboriginal cultural identities and practices, past and present.	Aboriginal Culture-
2. Peopling-Peopling the continent	Migration-Activities and processes associated with the resettling of people from one place to another (international, interstate, intrastate) and the impacts of such movements	Free Immigrants in the 19th century-
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	Warehousing and storage for commercial enterprises-
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
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Land tenure-Activities and processes for identifying forms of ownership and occupancy of land and water, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal	1820s-1850s land grants-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Land tenure-Activities and processes for identifying forms of ownership and occupancy of land and water, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal	Naming places (toponymy)-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages	Early Sydney Street-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages	Laneway-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages	Macquarie's town layout-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages	19th century suburban developments-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages	(none)-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages	Developing ports-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages	Artists settlement and networks-

Procedures /Exemptions

Section of act	Description	Title	Comments	Action date
57(2)	Exemption to allow work	Heritage Act	covers building,land,maintenance Order Under Section 57(2) to exempt the following activities from Section 57(1): The maintenance of any building or item on the sites meaning the continuous protective care of existing materials.	Dec 22 1989
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		00651	02 Apr 99	27	1546
Heritage Act - Permanent Conservation Order - former		00651	22 Dec 89	124
Local Environmental Plan	Sydney Local Environmental Plan		09 Dec 05
National Trust of Australia register		6105	01 Nov 82

Study details

Title	Year	Number	Author	Inspected by	Guidelines used
National Trust Suburban Register	2016	6105	National Trust of Australia (NSW)		No

References, internet links & images

Type	Author	Year	Title	Internet Links
Written	Koziol, Michael	2022	Quay question: is it a circular argument or key to fixing the city?
Written	Sing, Tricia	1988	"Bulletin Place: a new retail/commercial drawcard - Reminder of early Sydney

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:	5045669
File number:	S90/04406 & HC 89/1130

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.

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