Royal Naval House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Royal Naval House |
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Royal Naval House, pictured in 2010
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| Location | 32-34 Grosvenor Street, The Rocks, City of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Built | 1890–1907 |
| Architect |
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| Architectural style(s) | Federation Free Classical |
| Owner | Property NSW |
| Official name: Royal Naval House; currently Futures Exchange | |
| Type | State heritage (built) |
| Designated | 10 May 2002 |
| Reference no. | 1574 |
| Type | Defence Base Naval |
| Category | Defence |
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The Royal Naval House is a special building in The Rocks, a part of Sydney, Australia. It used to be a place where sailors from the Royal Australian Navy could stay and relax. Today, it is a business building called the Sydney Futures Exchange.
The building is located at 32-34 Grosvenor Street. It was designed by architects Varney Parkes and G. W. Landers. It was built between 1890 and 1907. The government of New South Wales owns the property. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 10 May 2002. This means it is a very important historical site.
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The land where Royal Naval House stands was once part of the first Parade Ground in the colony. This was a large open space used for military drills.
Grosvenor Street was first called Charlotte Place. It was named after Queen Charlotte Sophia, wife of King George III. In 1897, the street name changed to Grosvenor. This new name came from the nearby Grosvenor Hotel. The hotel was named after the Grosvenor family. Many people did not like the name change at the time.
Early owners of the land included William Davis. He was important in helping the Catholic Church start in New South Wales. Old pictures from 1848 show large two-story houses on the site. These houses were later taken down to build Royal Naval House.
Helping Sailors in Sydney
John Samuel Shearston (1853-1916) helped start the Church of England Mission to Seamen in 1881. This group aimed to help sailors. His home in Dawes Point was their first office. In 1885, they moved to a bigger place called Trafalgar House. This new place could also offer some beds for sailors.
By 1886, Shearston also managed Goodenough Royal Naval House. But even with two places, there was not enough room for all the sailors. So, people started raising money to build a new, bigger Royal Naval House.
Lord Carrington officially opened the Royal Naval House in 1890. The land cost £9,000, the building cost £14,000, and the furniture cost £1,200.
"Johnny's" Home for Sailors
John Shearston became the main manager of Royal Naval House in 1890. His wife was the housekeeper. Sailors loved the warm welcome they received. They soon started calling the place 'Johnny's' after him. This name was used by sailors until the building closed in 1970.
The house quickly became very popular. A newspaper report from 1897 said that 25,789 men had stayed there in one year. In its first seven years, 164,502 men had lodged there. Besides beds, the building had reading rooms, dining rooms, billiard rooms, and a gym. By the late 1800s, it was clear the building was still too small.
In 1904, the government bought the land next door. This allowed for an expansion of the Royal Naval House. A new section was built in 1907. This new part was built by the Government Architect's office.
Busy Times and Changes
In 1912, a newspaper reported that Royal Naval House had hosted 67,408 men in the previous year. After the new section opened, another 12,000 men used the house each year. This meant about 216 men stayed there every night.
During World War II (1939-1945), Royal Naval House was extremely busy. It sometimes housed almost 1500 men a night. Many slept on mattresses and bunks placed wherever there was space. In 1946 alone, 307,000 sailors stayed there.
The house was used by naval staff. In the 1960s, it also offered temporary stays for their families. It closed in 1970. The Sydney Cove Redevelopment Authority took over the building in 1976.
Modern Use
From 1980, plans were made to update the area. This included renovating Royal Naval House. In 1983, an agreement was signed for the Grosvenor Place project. This project included fixing up Royal Naval House and four other buildings.
Work on Grosvenor Place started in 1984 and finished in 1988. In 1987, a $12.5 million project began. This was to rebuild and update Royal Naval House and Federation Hall. The goal was to make them ready for the Sydney Futures Exchange. This work brought back the original verandah and courtyard. It also restored the outside walls of the building.
Building Design
The Royal Naval House is built in the Federation Free Classical style. It has a lower ground floor, three main floors, and an attic.
Changes Over Time
- The original Royal Naval House was built in 1889-1890. Architect Varney Parkes designed it.
- The Government Architect W L Vernon added to it in 1907.
- Other changes were made inside the building, mostly after 1939.
- In 1987-1988, the building was rebuilt and renovated. This was for the Sydney Futures Exchange. The original verandah and courtyard were put back in a new spot. The outside walls were also restored.
Royal Naval House is very important to the history and culture of New South Wales. It is also important because it is part of The Rocks area, which is a significant historical place itself.
Historical Connections
The land has links to William Davis. He was an Irish Catholic who helped the Catholic Church start in Australia. He even donated land for the first Catholic Church in Australia.
The building is also connected to Commodore James Goodenough. He was a Royal Navy commander in the late 1800s. He cared a lot about helping sailors. After he died, Goodenough House was set up to help sailors. This led directly to the building of Royal Naval House.
John Samuel Shearston is another key person. He helped start the Church of England Mission to Seamen. He became the first manager of Royal Naval House. Sailors called the place "Johnny's" because of him.
Social Importance
Royal Naval House has great social value. It is especially important to the Royal Navy and the Royal Australian Navy. For 82 years, it gave beds and food to thousands of sailors.
During World War II, it was a vital place. It housed up to 1500 sailors each night from Australian, British, and other allied navies. After the war, it also offered cheap overnight stays for families of sailors. This helped families who could not afford city hotel prices.
The stories and memories of "Johnny's" are still shared today. This shows how much it meant to the sailors who stayed there.
Beautiful Architecture
The Royal Naval House is part of a group of important buildings. These include Federation Hall, Johnson's Building, 231 George Street, and Brooklyn Hotel. Royal Naval House is a main feature of this group.
The original outside of Royal Naval House is a beautiful and strong piece of architecture. The part added in 1907 fits in very well with the original design. The building's rich stucco (a type of plaster) outside is quite rare in Sydney.
The main staircase inside is large and impressive. Other rooms were designed as reading rooms or dormitories (sleeping areas). They are big, open spaces with simple details. The courtyard was also a unique and interesting part of the original design. It let in a lot of sunlight and helped the building fit its unusual plot of land.
