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Although I would decline to testify in court, I think these are the four oldest pubs in Sydney town. They all stand close to the waters'-edge: hence, the naval names.
These first two have been restored with panache. The Lord Nelson (1842) attracts the chrome-fittings and blonde-wood set whereas The Hero of Waterloo (1843) attracts the literary lions with leftish-leanings. They are only about 3oom apart, both down in Millers Point which is the suburb beside the southern pylon of the harbour bridge. Of course, with Sydney being settled in 1788 there were pubs established prior to this. However, they do not still exist. One of these earlier pubs was The Sailors' Arms (1831) which is the house with the veranda immediately down from The HoW in Windmill Street, but it was soon turned into a dwelling house. Pubs in Sydney prior to 1800 were mostly under canvas.
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These last two are like my father's mythical axe wielded during my childhood: with six new handles and three new heads! The Orient and the FoW have had more face-lifts than Olivia Neutron-Bomb. The Orient (1844) and The Fortune of War (1828) are both in George Street, The Rocks which loops down under The Bridge. They both look a bit dodgy and my guess is they attract the brew'n'spew crowd.
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12 comments:
I'm enjoying this pub crawl through some of the really interesting pubs in Sydney.
Sydney - City and Suburbs
Your pubs look a whole lot more inviting than my Royal Collection. I especially like the top one, the time of day just right to get the clarity of the building out of doors and the inviting warmth of the indoors lighting.
The Customs House in Macquarie Place belongs on that list as well, although I'm not keen on the renovation.
I sincerely hope you are spending time inside these historic icons and not just photographing the outside :)
I spent time at The Lord Nelson but photographed the HoW about 8am ... too early even for moi!
Ann I will follow up that idea of the Customs House pub but I suspect it has been renewed so many times it does not quality as one of the oldest pubs in Sydney.
I'm all for research though ...
How very English they all seem!
English is not surprising: these pubs were established in the first half of he 19thC when Australia was most definitely an English colony. One only has to name the main streets in the city centre to understand this: George, Elizabeth, Pitt, Castlereagh, York, Clarence.
What an interesting and funny post! "Brew and spew"? Fantastic! I've never heard that. I think I'd like all of them except for the ones that attract those drinkers and spitters...
Your photos have a way of matching your words - or vice versa...
Julie, did you always have that comment under your photo? If so, I channeled you.
These pubs could just as easily be in London or at least somewhere in the UK. Guess here is where the original design came from
AH: No no no ... channelling t'other way, m'dear. Y'know in cartoons when the realisation hits a character that they are about to be hit by the falling rock. The "ch-kung" moment? I had one of those moments reading about Harriet Doerr, of whom I had not heard prior.
watched the super14 semi-final at the lord nelson on a very wet friday night in may after a day at walsh bay for the swf - great place.
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