Great Northern Hotel, Newcastle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Great Northern Hotel |
|
|---|---|
.jpg) |
|
| Location | 89 Scott Street, Newcastle, City of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia |
| Official name: Great Northern Hotel | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 2 April 1999 |
| Reference no. | 507 |
| Type | historic site |
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
The Great Northern Hotel is a special old building in Newcastle, Australia. It's listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register, which means it's an important historical place that needs to be protected. This hotel is located at 89 Scott Street and has been a big part of Newcastle's story for many years.
Contents
A Look Back at the Great Northern Hotel's History
The Great Northern Hotel you see today opened its doors in February 1938. But actually, it's the third hotel with the same name to be built on this spot! The first Great Northern Hotel started way back in 1863. The current building was designed by architects Rudder and Grout from Sydney. It was built by a company called Kell & Rigby.
A Popular Place in Newcastle
For many years, the hotel was a very popular spot in Newcastle. It was known as one of the city's most fancy and grand hotels. Even famous people have been there! For example, actress Susie Porter used to work as a barmaid at the hotel when she was studying at university.
Challenges and Changes Over Time
Keeping an old building like the Great Northern Hotel in good shape can be expensive. In the 1970s and 1980s, the owners found it hard to pay for all the repairs and upkeep. Then, in 1989, a big 1989 Newcastle earthquake hit the city. The hotel was damaged, and the top floors had to be closed off.
In 1993, the hotel closed completely because of disagreements between the owner and the local council about fire safety rules. After it closed, the building was sadly damaged by vandals. Many valuable things were taken from inside.
Reopening and New Beginnings
Luckily, a big project to fix up the hotel started in 1996. A new person took over the lease, and they wanted to make the hotel great again. There were some delays because of more disagreements with the council, but finally, the ground floor of the hotel reopened in November 1999. It became an Irish-themed pub.
However, there were still some challenges. In 2000, the NSW Heritage Council took legal action. They said that some changes had been made to the hotel without permission. This was a big deal because it was the first time such action had been taken under the Heritage Act. The developer decided to put off plans to fix the first floor because of these problems.
In 2001, the hotel opened a nightclub next door in an old building called Tattersall's Club. Later that year, the owners lost the Heritage Act case. This meant they had to pay a fine and court costs.
More Changes and a New Owner
In 2002, there was another big disagreement, this time between the hotel owner and the person leasing it. The owner wanted the lessee to leave. The owner won, and the hotel closed again on October 31, 2002. After this, the hotel was sold to a new owner named Kurt Braune.
The Great Northern Hotel reopened on March 28, 2003, with its Irish pub style removed. The new owners wanted to fix up the upper levels of the hotel. They got permission for this in 2008, but then the Global Financial Crisis happened, which caused more delays. In 2007, people said the hotel had "fallen into a state of significant disrepair."
After another period of closure and repairs, the hotel reopened on New Year's Eve 2009 with new people running it. In 2013, Kurt Braune sold the hotel to a developer from Sydney named Bass Elhashem. However, Braune still helped with the refurbishment project.
Plans for the Future
In October 2015, Elhashem announced new plans to fix up the hotel even more. There was a small problem in 2017 when they found out they needed to build a special power station to get electricity to the upper floors. But they solved this by agreeing to share facilities with a building next door.
In January 2018, the owners even applied to build a swimming pool that would stick out over Scott Street! This was part of a plan to make the building bigger. It was hoped the hotel would reopen by Easter 2018, but as of July 2018, work was still going on, and it remained closed.
What the Great Northern Hotel Looks Like
The Great Northern Hotel is a six-storey building designed in the Art Deco style. This style was popular in the 1920s and 1930s and often features geometric shapes and rich decorations. The hotel has a main part in the middle and two side sections. It used to be five storeys tall but was later made into six.
The hotel stands out in the town. It has a very special "Jazz style" inside, which is quite rare. Some parts of the building's original shape were changed in the 1950s when additions were made to the side sections.
Heritage Listing Status
The Great Northern Hotel was officially added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on April 2, 1999. This listing helps make sure this important building is protected for future generations.
