Palisade Hotel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Palisade Hotel |
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Palisade Hotel in 2007
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| Location | 35-37 Bettington Street, Millers Point, City of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Official name: Palisade Hotel | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 2 April 1999 |
| Reference no. | 510 |
| Type | Hotel |
| Category | Commercial |
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The Palisade Hotel is a historic hotel and pub in Sydney, Australia. It stands at 35-37 Bettington Street in the area called Millers Point. This spot is right next to Barangaroo Reserve. The hotel was designed by H. D. Walsh and built between 1915 and 1916. It is a privately owned building. The Palisade Hotel was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on April 2, 1999. This means it is a very important building that needs to be protected.
Contents
Discovering the Palisade Hotel's Past
Millers Point and Walsh Bay have been busy areas for homes and dockyards since the mid-1800s. The Palisade Hotel you see today was built on the same spot as an older hotel with the same name. In the 1870s, James Parle owned the land. The first records for the original hotel appeared in 1880. It was a three-story building made of brick and stone. It had an iron roof and twelve rooms. Henry Taylor ran this first hotel until 1911.
Why a New Hotel Was Built
In the early 1900s, after Australia became a federation, there was a new sense of hope. The population of Millers Point grew again after a health crisis around 1900. More places were needed for people to gather. The Sydney Harbour Trust decided to build new hotels. These hotels would serve the port workers and the local community. The new Palisade Hotel was one of four hotels built by the Trust. The others were Dumbarton Castle, the Big House (now the Sussex Hotel), and the Harbour View Hotel.
Building the Modern Palisade Hotel
Construction of the current Palisade Hotel began on April 6, 1915. It was finished in May 1916. The total cost was just over 3,000 pounds. The hotel was described as a five-story building. It was made of stone, brick, and cement. It also had strong steel and timber frames.
The hotel had a large bar and two sitting rooms on the ground floor. On the first floor, there were two more sitting rooms and a dining room. The building also included 15 bedrooms, a kitchen, laundry, bathrooms, and a large flat roof for drying clothes. There was even a fire escape on every floor for safety.
How the Hotel Changed Over Time
Plans from 1916 show a long, U-shaped bar on the ground floor. It had a canopy facing the main entrance. There was a public bar at the front. Behind it, a private bar was on one side. A "jug and bottle" area was on the other. Two sitting rooms were at the back of the ground floor. These could be reached from a separate private entrance.
A report from 1949 tells us how the hotel was used. Not many changes had been made from the original design. The first floor was for living, with bedrooms, a dining room, and a lounge. The second floor had six bedrooms, bathrooms, and a linen room. The fourth floor had the kitchen, breakfast room, and staff room. In total, there were 12 single and one double bedroom. The manager and staff used some of these rooms.
Ownership and Recent Changes
From the 1920s, a company called Tooth and Co. held the main lease for the hotel. They rented it out to different managers. In 1936, the Maritime Service Board took over from the Sydney Harbour Trust. The Board then owned the hotel. However, Tooths continued to lease it until 1950. After that, the hotel's manager, P. K. Armstrong, got the lease.
In February 1987, the hotel became privately owned. Then, in 1994, Palisade Properties Pty Ltd became the owner. The hotel closed for renovations in 2008 and stayed closed for seven years. These changes added a rooftop bar, a new main bar, and special rooms for guests. In May 2015, Palisade Properties sold the hotel to Richard Sapsford for $17.7 million. The hotel reopened in August 2015. Its rooftop bar, named "Henry Deane," opened that November.
What the Palisade Hotel Looks Like
The Palisade Hotel is located at 35 Bettington Street. It is built right up to the edges of its land. It faces Bettington Street to the north. To the east, it is next to Argyle Place and Dalgety Road. The Munn Street Reserve is to the south.
Building Structure and Materials
The hotel is a seven-story building made of masonry. This includes a basement, five floors of rooms, and a roof-top bar with a terrace. The lower parts of the building are made of stone and brick. The upper parts use load-bearing brickwork with stone details. The floors and roof are supported by timber and steel frames.
Inside, the walls are either plastered brick or plastered timber frames. The doors and windows are made of timber. The hotel has a balcony that sticks out on its north, south, and east sides. A tall metal fire escape is attached to the west wall. The roof is a flat, open area covered in artificial grass. It is set behind a low wall that has the hotel's name on it.
Special Design Features
The ground floor front is covered with original ceramic tiles. The building still has its original timber-framed doors and windows. The side walls have parts that stick out, covering two stories. These parts have timber shingles above wide, arched windows. A group of narrow arched windows lets light into the staircase.
Inside the Hotel: A Look at the Floors
The layout of the hotel changes from floor to floor. The basement has a large storage area in the east. Several smaller rooms are to the west. The ground floor is mostly taken up by the bar room in the east. There is also a hallway, two sitting rooms, and a toilet to the west. A tall stairway is in the middle on the north side.
The first floor has two large connected rooms above the bar. There is also a small room that was once part of the eastern balcony. This floor also has a former toilet, an office/bar room, and a kitchen. From this level upwards, there are parts of an old lift. It has a small lobby on the first, second, and third floors.
The second and third floors have similar layouts. Each has six guest rooms. A central area on these floors has a stair landing, two bathrooms, and a linen room. The rooms facing east have access to balconies on each level.
The fourth floor has several rooms to the east. Two of these rooms open onto an open balcony. This floor also has the stair landing, the old lift, and a small kitchen. At the west end, there is an open terrace. This terrace has access to a toilet and an enclosed bar. Stairs from here lead up to the fifth-floor bar and terrace.
Changes and Updates Over the Years
The Palisade Hotel has seen several changes since it was built.
- 1921: A wall was removed from the bar area.
- 1926: A dining room for staff was added. The fire escape was painted.
- 1932: The outside woodwork below the awning was painted and varnished.
- 1939: Ladies' toilets were built on the ground floor. Part of the fire escape was moved. Two new doors were added in the cellar. The handrail and gate in the bar near the basement stairs were made taller.
- 1940: A bedroom and the public bar were updated.
- 1949: Woodwork was stained and varnished. Advertising mirrors were put into wooden frames.
- 1950: Major painting work was done. This included painting the outside, coloring and sign writing, and painting and varnishing the inside walls, ceilings, and woodwork.
- Unknown Date: The first-floor balcony was enclosed.
- 1979: The original bar counter was removed.
- 1996: Bedrooms and bathrooms on the upper floors were improved. The kitchen was made more modern.
- 2008-2015: Big renovations took place. A new main bar was added. Bedrooms were upgraded, and a new rooftop bar was built.
Why the Palisade Hotel is Important
The Palisade Hotel is historically important for several reasons. It shows how the New South Wales Government took over and developed large areas around Sydney Harbour. This happened after the bubonic plague outbreak in 1900. The hotel was built by the Sydney Harbour Trust in 1915-1916. It was one of four hotels built to replace older ones. These new hotels provided places for port workers and the local community.
The hotel was built during a time when many hotels were being constructed, between 1900 and 1914. This period ended with the start of World War I. The Palisade Hotel has been used as a hotel since 1916. It has had only a few changes to its layout and structure. This shows its lasting importance. Its well-known location and continued use highlight its role in the social life of Millers Point.
The Palisade Hotel is also important because H. D. Walsh designed it. He was an engineer who played a key role in developing Sydney Harbour in the early 1900s. The hotel is also beautiful. It is an excellent example of a "Federation Free Style" building. This style has influences from the "Arts and Crafts" movement. Its tall and narrow shape makes it stand out in Millers Point. It is a well-known landmark in the area. Its location also offers great views along several streets.
Heritage Listing
The Palisade Hotel was officially listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on April 2, 1999. This listing helps protect its historical and architectural value for future generations.
