Captain Cook Hotel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Captain Cook Hotel |
|
|---|---|
Captain Cook Hotel in 2014
|
|
| Location | 33-35 Kent Street, Millers Point, City of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Architectural style(s) | Federation Free Style |
| Official name: Captain Cook Hotel | |
| Type | State heritage (built) |
| Designated | 2 April 1999 |
| Reference no. | 511 |
| Type | Hotel |
| Category | Commercial |
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
The Captain Cook Hotel is a historic pub located at 33-35 Kent Street in Millers Point, a suburb of Sydney, Australia. It's a special building because it's listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register. This means it's an important part of history and needs to be protected. It was added to this list on April 2, 1999.
Contents
A Look Back: The Hotel's History
Early Days and First Peoples
Before European settlement, the land around Sydney was home to Aboriginal people. The "Eora people" were the coastal Aboriginal groups in this area. Specifically, the Cadigal and Wangal bands of the Eora lived in what is now the City of Sydney. When Europeans arrived, the lives of the Cadigal and Wangal people were greatly changed, but their descendants still live in Sydney today.
How Millers Point Grew
For many years, the northern part of Kent Street was hard to develop. This was because of a big, rocky hill nearby. Kent Street was just a rough path until the 1830s. At that time, much of the area was used as sandstone quarries.
By the late 1830s, the quarries moved away, and Millers Point started to become a busy shipping port. By 1843, Kent Street was a proper road, which helped new buildings appear. Important places like the Holy Trinity Church and the Lord Nelson Hotel were built.
A big change happened in the mid-1860s with the completion of the Argyle Cut. This made it much easier to get in and out of the area. The intersection of Kent and Argyle Streets became a very important spot.
The Hotel's Beginning
In 1860, the land where the Captain Cook Hotel stands was owned by the Australian Gas Light Company. Photos from 1864 show the site was empty. However, by 1870-71, a photo clearly shows the Captain Cook Hotel already built and open! This means the hotel likely opened around 1867.
The hotel started as two two-story buildings, like joined houses. They had a unique look with overhanging roofs. Even though some records say it became known as the Captain Cook Hotel in 1876, the early photos prove it was using that name much earlier, in the late 1860s.
Who Ran the Pub?
Many different people managed the Captain Cook Hotel over the years. William Bond was the publican (the person who runs the pub) until 1886-87. After him, John Craig took over. Then came Louisa Leistikow, Brigit Corkoran, Richard Page, and Alfred Cullen, who ran it for a long time from 1892 to 1898. Alfred Bird and his relative Sarah managed the hotel during the time of the bubonic plague in the early 1900s.
Pubs as Community Hubs
Back then, pubs were more than just places to drink. They were important centers for local community life. People held birthdays, weddings, and other gatherings there. They were places where people met, shared news, and socialized.
However, there was a movement called the "temperance movement" that wanted to reduce alcohol use. This group became quite strong from the 1870s onwards.
Surviving Big Changes
Around 1900, the area faced a huge challenge: the bubonic plague. Because of this, the government took over much of the land around the harbor. This led to big changes, including the redevelopment of the wharves and the building of Hickson Road. Many streets disappeared or were changed.
The Captain Cook Hotel was lucky. It survived this period of widespread demolition. It ended up at the top of a cliff, with only a narrow lane separating it from the new street below.
More changes came for hotels. From about 1905, new laws restricted how pubs could operate. By 1912, local judges could even reduce the number of pubs in an area. In Millers Point, the number of pubs dropped from thirteen in 1900 to just six by 1928. The Captain Cook Hotel managed to stay open through all these changes.
A big change for pubs happened in 1916. New laws meant hotels had to stop serving alcohol at 6 PM. This led to people rushing to drink as much as they could before closing time. This rule lasted until 1955. It also changed pubs from being community places to more focused on quick drinking.
Changes to the Building Over Time
The Captain Cook Hotel has been changed and updated several times. Around 1940, major alterations were made. The roof stayed the same, but a new decorative wall (called a parapet) was added to the front. The outside was covered with new plaster, making the two original buildings look like one. The large openings on the ground floor were made smaller.
Even with these changes, the building was still based on its original 1875 structure. It was not demolished and rebuilt, as some thought. Updating old pubs was common after the Great Depression.
In the later part of the 20th century, the Captain Cook Hotel was a popular spot for members of the Waterside Workers Federation, who worked on the docks.
Today, if you look at photos of the hotel, you can see that the original large openings on the ground floor, from around 1867, have been brought back. The windows on the upper floor are still in their original spots. The back of the building has also been made much larger than it was in 1940.
What the Hotel Looks Like
The Captain Cook Hotel started as two two-story buildings joined together. It had a classic look with overhanging roofs, different from the buildings next to it. The outside had simple windows on the upper level. The building closest to the corner had a slanted corner and a large shop window on Kent Street. It also had a small window sticking out of the roof.
How the Building Changed
Over the years, the hotel has been updated:
- Around 1920: Possible changes were made to the ground floor bar to meet new licensing laws.
- Around 1940: The ground floor openings were made smaller. A new parapet (a low wall) was built on the roof. The outside was covered in plaster, making the two original buildings look like one. A new section was added to the west side of the building.
- Late 20th century: More additions were made to the west side, and the inside was changed.
- Early 21st century: The hotel was refurbished. This included bringing back the original large openings on the ground floor.
While the outside of the building has kept its original look, the inside has been changed many times. This is common for old pubs. The original staircase has been removed and replaced. The building also has large additions on its western side.
Why It's Heritage Listed
The Captain Cook Hotel is a two-story brick building with a style called Federation Free Style. It's located on a corner at the northern end of Kent Street.
Even though it's one of eleven hotels of this style remaining in the city, it's considered less important than some others, like the Moreton's Hotel or the Palisade Hotel.
However, the Captain Cook Hotel is historically important because it was once part of the Australian Gas Light Company land. It has also been a hotel for a very long time, since at least 1876.
The building is also socially important. It has provided a place for people to socialize, relax, and find affordable accommodation in the area for many years. It shows how small corner hotels developed on the edge of the city. It also reflects what life was like in the area in the early 1900s.
The Captain Cook Hotel was officially listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on April 2, 1999.
Images for kids
-
Captain Cook Hotel in 2014
