Lord Nelson Hotel, Millers Point facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lord Nelson Hotel
Lord Nelson Hotel in 2014
Location	19 Kent Street, Millers Point, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Built	1835
Architect	Michael Lehane
New South Wales Heritage Register
Official name: Lord Nelson Hotel
Type	state heritage (built)
Designated	2 April 1999
Reference no.	509
Type	Hotel
Category	Commercial
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The Lord Nelson Hotel is a very old and famous pub and hotel. It is located at 19 Kent Street in Millers Point, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It was built by James Dempsey around 1814 to 1815. James Dempsey was a stonemason who came from Ireland. This hotel is special because it is the oldest working licensed hotel in Sydney. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999, meaning it's a protected historical building.

History of the Lord Nelson Hotel

Early Days of Millers Point

The area now known as Millers Point was first called Cockle Bay Point by Europeans. It was later renamed after a former prisoner, John "Jack the Miller" Leighton. The northern part of Kent Street was known as "The Quarries." This area provided a lot of the stone used to build early Sydney.

The land where the hotel stands was given to two people by the government. One part went to a plasterer named Wells in 1836. The other part went to Richard Drier in 1840.

Building the Hotel

The Lord Nelson Hotel was built in the late 1830s by William Wells. Wells might have been a plasterer, but this is not fully confirmed. The architect who designed the building was Michael Lehane.

William Wells is thought to have lived near the hotel until 1842. That's when the hotel officially received its license to operate. The sandstone blocks used to build the hotel likely came from a quarry at the bottom of Observatory Hill. The Lord Nelson has been a working licensed hotel since June 1842, making it the oldest in Sydney.

Owners and Changes Over Time

Records from 1858 show that Charles J Sounders managed the Lord Nelson Hotel between 1860 and 1866. In 1867, William Wells, who built the hotel, seemed to buy it back. He stayed there until 1870. After him, John Henwood and Alfred C. Wells took over. Alfred might have been William's son or a relative. Many different people managed the hotel in the years leading up to 1900.

In 1891, the Sydney Storage Company took ownership of the property. Part of it was then leased back to Patrick Powell in 1893. In 1900, the Sydney Storage Company leased it to L. H. G. Oswald. The Oswalds later built the Oswald Bond Stores on either side of the hotel.

The government took over the property in 1901. It was then given to the Sydney Harbour Trust Commissioners in 1911. Many different people managed the hotel between 1901 and 1911. From 1911 to 1917, Michael Lehane managed it. Terence O'Brien followed him from 1918 to 1928.

In 1922, plans were approved to make more changes to the building. The name of the architect for these changes is not known. It's possible this work included updating the rooms on the second floor.

In 1931, the company leasing the hotel, Tooth and Co. Ltd, reported losing money. This was because the rent they paid to the Sydney Harbour Trust was very high. The lease terms were then changed to help them.

In 1932, an inspector checked the hotel. He asked for several changes to be made. These included making the kitchen and dining rooms fly-proof. Some floor coverings needed replacing, and electric lights had to be fixed.

In 1936, the property was registered under the Maritime Services Board of New South Wales. In 1937, another inspector asked for major changes to the inside of the hotel. These changes were done in 1938, designed by Copeman, Lemont and Keesing architects. The Maritime Services Board approved the changes. They also gave Tooth and Co. Ltd a 20-year lease.

In 1938, new equipment for cooling beer was installed. This system was replaced again in 1947 and 1956. In 1941, a part of the cellar was separated to create a spirit room.

In the mid-1950s, more repairs were needed inside and outside the building. This was to make sure it was in good condition. In 1957, a "keg slide" was built facing Kent Street. This allowed beer kegs to be loaded directly from the street into the basement.

In 1958, an architect named Ian Smalpage planned painting and repairs for the hotel. In 1963, the Maritime Services Board leased the property to Percy Cheers for five years. From the late 1960s to the early 1980s, several different people leased the hotel.

In the early 1980s, major renovations worth $100,000 were done. These likely involved restoring the outside of the building. In 1986, plans were approved to add a brewery to the hotel. This brewery was built in the basement and on the ground floor. Walls on the first floor were opened up to create a larger restaurant area. A timber roof was also added over the back deck.

In 1988, a fire started from a fireplace on the ground floor. It damaged part of the second-floor rooms. One room was badly damaged, and others were affected by smoke and heat.

In 1990, a new exhaust pipe was installed in the kitchen. In the 1990s, the hotel won several awards. These included "Best Pub" by Great Pubs of Sydney and "Best Tourist Hotel" by the Australian Hotels Association.

What the Lord Nelson Hotel Looks Like

The Lord Nelson Hotel is a three-story building made of smooth sandstone. It is built in an old style called Old Colonial Regency. The building has an "L-shaped" design with a hipped roof. The roof is covered with corrugated asbestos cement, which is not the original material. A decorative parapet (a low wall) hides part of the roof.

The building has a rounded corner where the two streets meet. This corner features a main arched doorway with double timber doors and a fanlight (a window above the door). Another arched doorway is on the Argyle Street side. A third door with a flat arch is on the northern end of the eastern side.

The windows on the first and second floors are regular, multi-paned timber double-hung windows. On the ground floor, there are large, fixed timber windows on either side of the rounded corner. The Argyle Street side also has two timber-framed sash windows like those on the upper floors. The Kent Street side has one such window and three tall, narrow, fixed windows. All windows have simple, projecting sandstone sills (ledges).

A decorative stone band, called a "string course," runs along the Argyle Street side at ground level. It continues along the Kent Street side. Below this, the sandstone wall has been covered with render and painted. The "kegslide" is in this rendered area on the eastern side. This is a special hatch that allows beer kegs to be loaded directly from the street into the basement.

Inside, the building has five levels: a basement, ground floor, first floor, second floor, and an attic. The ground floor is mostly the public bar area. The first floor has two main parts. The southern part is the restaurant seating area. The northeastern part has the main stairs, a small storage room, and restrooms. The northwestern part has the kitchen and a bar that opens to the restaurant. There's also a sheltered deck area leading to a service stair.

The second floor has eight rooms, two bathrooms, two storerooms, a single restroom, and a small kitchen area. The attic space is an open "L-shaped" area with a timber floor and many exposed rafters (roof beams).

Changes and Updates Over the Years

• c. 1836: The hotel was built.
• 1842–1845: Possible additions were made to the north and west sides.
• 1922: The second-floor rooms were updated.
• 1930s: A new kitchen and restrooms were added.
• 1938: The ground floor bar was changed, new internal stairs were built, and the second-floor rooms were updated again.
• 1957: The "keg slide" was built.
• 1960: The ground floor bar was changed again.
• 1980s: The outside of the building was fully restored.
• 1986: A brewery was added inside the hotel.
• 1987: The deck and service stair were enclosed, and a bar was installed on the first floor.
• 1988: A fire caused damage to the building.

Why the Lord Nelson Hotel is Important

The Lord Nelson Hotel is very important because it is the oldest working licensed hotel in Sydney. It was one of only two hotels in its area that the Sydney Harbour Trust kept when Millers Point was redeveloped around 1900.

The Lord Nelson Hotel is also special because it's one of only three hotels in the city built in the Old Colonial Regency style. The other two are the Hero of Waterloo Hotel and a building at 246 George Street. Many people consider the Lord Nelson to be the best example of these three.

It helps give the area its unique historical look. The building is a rare example of an early 19th-century hotel that is still in use today. It's also part of a group of corner hotels in the northern part of the city. These hotels were important places for people to meet, relax, and find affordable places to stay. Because the building is so old and has been used continuously since early European settlement, it might also be important for scientific study.

The Lord Nelson Hotel was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999 for several reasons:

• It shows the history of New South Wales.

The Lord Nelson Hotel is historically important as part of the network of corner hotels built in Millers Point and The Rocks in the 1800s. It is older than most hotels in the area. It was one of the few that was not torn down after the plague around 1900. The Lord Nelson is the earliest hotel in Sydney that has been continuously operating.

• It shows great design and building skills.

The Lord Nelson Hotel is important for its looks. It is a mostly unchanged example of the Old Colonial Regency style, used as a corner hotel. The building also adds a lot to the special character of the area.

• It has a strong connection to the community.

The Lord Nelson Hotel is socially important. It was part of the group of corner hotels that offered places for people to socialize and stay. It has also been connected to the hotel business for a very long time.

• It can teach us about history.

The Lord Nelson Hotel might be a good place for scientific research. This is because of how old the building is and how it has been used continuously since the early days of European settlement.

• It is a rare example of its kind.

The building is very important because it is a rare surviving example of the Old Colonial Regency style.

• It represents important types of historical places.

The building is a good example of the important corner hotels. These hotels played a big role in the social life of the city, especially in the Millers Point and waterfront areas.

See also

• Australian non-residential architectural styles