The British Seamen's Hotel is a heritage-listed bar and former hotel, boarding house, office building located at 39–43 Argyle Street, in the inner city Sydney suburb of The Rocks in the City of Sydney local government area of New South Wales, Australia.
[1] The site was at the rear of the Assistant Colonial Surgeon, Dr William Redfern's residence and formed part of the Hospital Garden between 1795–1816.
[1] The Sydney Hospital was transferred to Macquarie Street in 1816, the Assistant Surgeon's residence being occupied by architect Francis Greenway until the 1830s.
[1] The site's possession was hotly contested, the protagonists being James Rampling / William Hawkins and John Gleeson / Thomas Ryan.
Rampling claimed to have paid Hawkins thirty pounds for the allotment transfer in 1822 and had built a two-storey house and fence on it.
The legacy of Rampling's brief occupancy was the (uncompensated) construction of a two-storey stone house / shop with bakehouse attached.
[1] In December 1825, Thomas Ryan, representing John Gleeson, brought a case against Rampling in the Supreme Court to have him removed from the property.
In 1845 the Sydney Municipal Rate Books record the property being owned by Rosetta Terry and Matthew Brown as the tenant.
The former Hotel's use remained residential up to 1955 when it was converted into an office with staff amenities for Thomas Playfair Pty Ltd, a major meat export company at the time.
Based on physical evidence, wallpapers, paint schemes, tiles, joinery and door and window hardware were reproduced for the building to interpret it as a hotel operating during the 1890s.
[3] In 1996 the refurbishment of the building won the National Trust Energy Australia Heritage Week Awards for the Interior.
The elevations are highly decorative with rendered horizontal banding, stone detailing, arched windows with leadlight panels and parapet wall.
[1] The former British Seamens Hotel and site are of State heritage significance for their historical and scientific cultural values.
The place demonstrates various phases of hotel, residential and commercial related activities that formed a major component of the historical, social, cultural and architectural development of the Rocks.
This began with the early development of the Colony and reflected the social pastime of the local community and transient maritime workers.
Ownership of the site was contested by several people, illustrating the problems associated with the granting of land and leases and recording of such.
[1] The place located on the corner of Argyle and Harrington Streets can be viewed from a distance and forms an important link between the earlier 19th century buildings on the adjoining boundaries.
- The well designed, street facades on the former hotel and shops are very good examples of Federation Free Classical Style.
[5][1] British Seamen's Hotel was listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 10 May 2002 having satisfied the following criteria.
Ownership of the site was contested by several people illustrating the problems associated with the granting of land and leases and recording of such.
The site has an association with Dr Redfern, Francis Greenway and with early land holder Rosetta Terry.
The site has strong associations with several prominent people, including Dr Redfern, the first Assistant Surgeon in the colony.
Ownership of the site was contested by several people illustrating the problems associated with the granting of land and leases and recording of such.
[1] The place is important in demonstrating aesthetic characteristics and/or a high degree of creative or technical achievement in New South Wales.
The place located on the corner of Argyle and Harrington Streets can be viewed from a distance and forms an important link between the earlier 19th century buildings on the adjoining boundaries.
- The well designed, street facades on the Former Hotel and shops are very good examples of Federation Free Classical Style.
This began with the early development of the Colony and reflected the social pastime of the local community and transient maritime workers.
[1] The place has potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of the cultural or natural history of New South Wales.
[1] The place possesses uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of the cultural or natural history of New South Wales.
[1] This Wikipedia article was originally based on British Seamen's Hotel (former), entry number 1532 in the New South Wales State Heritage Register published by the State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) 2018 under CC-BY 4.0 licence, accessed on 14 October 2018.