New South Wales Club building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids New South Wales Club building |
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| Location | 31 Bligh Street, Sydney central business district, City of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Built | 1886–1887 |
| Architect | William Wardell |
| Official name: NSW Club House Building | |
| Type | State heritage (built) |
| Designated | 2 April 1999 |
| Reference no. | 145 |
| Type | Community Club/ Clubhouse |
| Category | Community Facilities |
| Builders | John Try |
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The New South Wales Club building is a historic building located at 31 Bligh Street in the heart of Sydney, Australia. It was once a special club for gentlemen. Today, it is used as offices. The famous architect William Wardell designed this building. It was built between 1886 and 1887 by John Try. The New South Wales Club used this building from 1886 until 1969. That year, the club joined with another club called the Australian Club. The building was then sold. Parts of it were taken down in 1973, and the front section was turned into offices. This important building was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on April 2, 1999.
History of the Club Building
How the Club Started
The idea for the New South Wales Club began on March 16, 1883. The club bought a piece of land that was about 20 meters wide. This land had entrances on both O'Connell and Bligh Streets. At their first big meeting on October 1, 1883, the club chose William Wardell to design their new building.
The land cost the club £18,000. Building the clubhouse cost another £15,800. To help pay for this, the club sold the O'Connell Street side of the land for £15,000.
Opening and Famous Members
The clubhouse officially opened in 1886. However, construction finished a year later. At the opening dinner on January 20, 1886, the club's special crest was seen for the first time. It had a motto that meant "Thus Etruria grew strong."
The club held fancy dinners. Lord Carrington, who was the Governor of New South Wales, ate there on October 14, 1890. He was also the club's patron. Many other well-known people were members of the NSW Club. These included Sydney Burdekin, Richard Teece, Sir Samuel Hordern, and Sir William Spooner.
Changes Over Time
The club changed slowly over the years. For example, in 1943, the staff stopped wearing special uniforms. This was because clothes were rationed during wartime. In 1965, the basement was changed into a special area for women members. It even had its own entrance.
Most changes to the building before the late 1960s were inside. But in 1916, an extra floor was added to the roof. This created more space for billiard and card rooms, and extra bedrooms.
Club Merges and Building Sale
The NSW Club was connected to other clubs. In 1922, it offered free membership to members of the Union Club. This happened while the Union Club's building was being changed. In early 1969, the NSW Club announced it would join with the Australian Club.
The Bligh Street building was then sold for $3.7 million. This was to a company called Capital and Counties (Aust) Pty Ltd. A year later, in 1971, the building was given an "A" rating by the National Trust of Australia. This meant it was very important to keep the front part of the building.
Saving the Building
By late 1972, a plan was made to save the building. Capital and Counties, the National Trust, and IPEC Investments worked together. Capital and Counties agreed to lease the front of the building to the National Trust for just one dollar a year. The National Trust then leased it to IPEC Investments.
The City of Sydney Council helped by allowing Capital and Counties to build a taller office block nearby. This was a reward for saving the old club building. The back parts of the club building were taken down to make way for new high-rise offices. The Savoy Theatre was also demolished to give the new offices street access.
Under the agreement, the National Trust leased the front part of the club to IPEC for 80 years. One rule was that any changes to the building needed the Trust's approval.
Restoration Work
In early 1973, the back part of the club building was demolished. This made space for the new 25 Bligh Street building. Architects McConnel Smith and Johnson were hired to restore the front part of the old club building. By 1978, the restoration work was finished.
Saving this building was a big success for the National Trust. It was one of the first times they worked with property owners to save important historic buildings. This process helped the Sydney City Council rethink how to encourage owners to keep heritage sites.
After its restoration, the building was empty for some years. Then, in 1996, former Prime Minister Paul Keating began using its offices.
Building Design and Features
Outside Look
The New South Wales Club building is built in the Italian palazzo style. This means it looks like a grand Italian palace. It is even said to be based on London's Travellers Club.
William Wardell designed a main three-story section for the club. This part stretched across the whole front of Bligh Street. There were also two wings at the back, but these were taken down in the 1970s. The ends of these wings were connected by a single-story block with a special skylight roof. There was also a grassy courtyard with a small fountain.
Inside the Building
The main entrance is on Bligh Street. You walk up a flight of stairs to get in. The entrance is lined with fancy cast-iron lamp posts. Inside, there is a large hall on the ground floor. The building has very high ceilings and tall windows. The windows on the ground floor are rounded at the top.
The entrance hall and the original dining room on the ground floor are very fancy. They have beautiful wooden details and marble chimney pieces. The walls and ceilings are decorated with rich paint and stencils. During the 1970s restoration, workers found these stencil decorations. They also found gilded cornices and ceiling roses.
In the original dining room, the walls were green, cream, and terra cotta. There were six different decorated bands above a brown lower wall section. The entrance hall and dining room ceilings were hand-painted in gold, red, and brown colors. The dining room was very large, about 14 meters long and 7 meters wide.
The entrance hall had a spot for a porter. It still has its marble floor edges and a colorful arched screen. Besides the hall and dining room, the ground floor also had two billiard rooms and a smoking room. These rooms opened onto a veranda that led to the courtyard.
Upper Floors
A wide cedar staircase led from the entrance hall to the first floor. This floor mainly had a large reading room, a card room, and a private dining room. This floor is not as fancy as the ground floor. However, it still has important pieces of embossed wallpaper and triangular windows.
The windows on the second floor are smaller than those on the first floor. They also have arched tops. Because the back wings were demolished, the bedrooms for the servants on the upper floors no longer exist. The ground floor is the most complete part of the building that remains today.
Why This Building is Important
A Rare Example
The New South Wales Club building is very important because it is the only remaining example of a 19th-century gentlemen's club in Sydney. These clubs were very important in society back then.
Designed by a Famous Architect
The building is also important because it is a surviving example of the work of William Wardell. He was a very important architect from the Victorian era. The front of the building on Bligh Street shows his elegant classical style. It was influenced by Italian Renaissance palaces. Inside, the rooms are spacious with high ceilings and tall windows. They have beautiful wooden details and marble fireplaces. The walls and ceilings have rich, masculine decorations. Some parts even have old embossed wallpaper.
Showing How We Save History
This building is also important because it shows how historic buildings were saved in the 1970s. The work done to preserve it helped shape how we protect important buildings today.
Heritage Listing Reasons
The NSW Club building was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on April 2, 1999, because it met several important rules:
- It shows the history of New South Wales: The building was home to the NSW Club for 88 years. This club was very exclusive and had many facilities for its male members. The building is a reminder of this important part of Sydney's past. Changes to the building, like adding a top floor and later demolishing the back, show how clubs changed over time.
- It is linked to important people: The building is a surviving example of the work of the famous architect William Wardell.
- It has high artistic value: The building is beautiful, with its sandstone front and stencil decorations. It also shows how ideas about saving old buildings developed in New South Wales. The way this building was saved helped change how the Sydney City Council thought about protecting heritage sites.
- It can teach us about history: The materials, finishes, and decorations inside the building show the high quality expected in a Victorian-era Gentlemen's club. Even though some parts have been changed, enough remains to help us understand the past.
- It is rare: The NSW Club building is the only surviving example of a Victorian-era Gentlemen's club in the Sydney central business district. It is one of only a few such buildings left in Australia. Even though parts of the building were demolished in 1973, it still helps us understand what these clubs were like.
