Australia Hotel
Encyclopedia
Castlereagh Street, Sydney
Castlereagh Street is a major north-south street in the centre of the Central Business District of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia .-Description:...
, was until its closure on 30 June 1971, the premier hotel in Sydney, describing itself as "The Hotel of the Commonwealth".
Situated in one of Sydney's important thoroughfares in the heart of the city, the hotel's foundation stone was laid by Sir Henry Parkes
Henry Parkes
Sir Henry Parkes, GCMG was an Australian statesman, the "Father of Federation." As the earliest advocate of a Federal Council of the colonies of Australia, a precursor to the Federation of Australia, he was the most prominent of the Australian Founding Fathers.Parkes was described during his...
in 1889, and the opening of the new establishment was performed by Sarah Bernhardt
Sarah Bernhardt
Sarah Bernhardt was a French stage and early film actress, and has been referred to as "the most famous actress the world has ever known". Bernhardt made her fame on the stages of France in the 1870s, and was soon in demand in Europe and the Americas...
, whose name was first in the new hotel register, subsequently displayed in a glass showcase in the main foyer.
The hotel had a large entrance onto the street in polished granite, the stairs grey, the doric
Doric order
The Doric order was one of the three orders or organizational systems of ancient Greek or classical architecture; the other two canonical orders were the Ionic and the Corinthian.-History:...
columns red. The squared columns in the entrance foyer were imported Italian marble, and the magnificent neo-classical staircase which led from the main foyer to the first floor was completely in Carrara marble in several colours. From that floor to the 10th a massive carved and highly polished mahogany
Mahogany
The name mahogany is used when referring to numerous varieties of dark-colored hardwood. It is a native American word originally used for the wood of the species Swietenia mahagoni, known as West Indian or Cuban mahogany....
Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
grand staircase led to their rooms those guests, who, in the early days of lifts, still preferred to walk.
The first floor contained a pillared corridor with various reception rooms, in addition to the Winter Garden - "famous for its morning and afternoon teas, light luncheons, and theatre suppers", and the Moorish Lounge, leading to the huge dining room - the Emerald Room, with its highly decorated ceiling some 20 feet above the guests, Italian chandeliers, and a dias at the west end containing a white marble operating fountain and other statues, engulfed in palm court
Palm court
A large atrium with palm trees, usually in a prestigious hotel, where functions are staged, notably tea dances. Examples include the Langham Hotel , Alexandra Palace , the Carlton Hotel , and the Ritz Hotel , all in London, and the Alexandria Hotel in Los Angeles, California.The concept of the...
style shrubbery.
The hotel boasted international standards of comfort and service. Robert Helpman had a suite permanently reserved should he need it; one lady stayed there for 31 years. Apart from the accommodation for guests, rooms were also provided in the Rowe Street wing for their servants, including the children's nurses, who had their own dining room with their charges.
In 1910 the ‘Australasian Wireless Company’ obtains a licence from the PMG to run telegraphy tests with ships at sea on 27 August. It was permitted to handle commercial traffic in 1911 – the first in Australia. It was located at the 6th floor of ‘The Hotel Australia’.
In the 1920s an extension was constructed to the north of the main hotel which fronted on to the city's historic Martin Place
Martin Place, Sydney
Martin Place, formerly known as Moore Street, is a pedestrian mall in the central business district of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Home to the Reserve Bank of Australia, the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Macquarie Bank and other corporations, Martin Place is synonymous with corporate...
. A highlight of this block was its circular art deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
black glass staircase.
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In 1968 the Hotel Australia was purchased by the huge MLC Insurance and Finance group who, with mounting concern, announced their intention of refurbishing and maintaining one of the city's landmarks. However the following year they announced its impending closure and later demolished it in almost record time, to erect a modern $20 million, 35-storey office block/skyscraper in its place; the MLC Centre
MLC Centre
The MLC Centre is a skyscraper in Sydney, Australia. This office building is 228 metres high and has 60 storeys. Occupants include the Sydney Consulate of the United States of America. The podium of the building includes a shopping centre with several exclusive fashion labels and a 1,186 seat...
. (MLC was purchased in 2000 by the National Australia Bank
National Australia Bank
National Australia Bank is one of the four largest financial institutions in Australia in terms of market capitalisation and customers. NAB is ranked 17th largest bank in the world measured by market capitalisation...
).
The Royal Australian Historical Society
Royal Australian Historical Society
The Royal Australian Historical Society is a voluntary organisation founded in Sydney, Australia in 1901 to encourage Australians to understand more about their history...
who fix their famous Green Plaques to historic buildings and sites, placed their 39th plaque on the MLC Centre in memory of the Australia Hotel.
External links
- http://www.rahs.org.au/GREEN%20PLAQUESdraft.pdf