The Old Bushells Factory is a heritage-listed former Bushells Tea factory and warehouse, now used as shops, offices and an art gallery, located at 86–88 George Street in the inner city Sydney suburb of The Rocks in the City of Sydney local government area of New South Wales, Australia.

In 1877 Robert Campbells land and wharfage facilities were sold to the Australasian Steam Navigation Company, (ASN Coy) the subject site may have been used as a rock quarry.

Shortly after the ASN Coy purchased the land it was sold to Cliff and Clark who erected a number of small stores.

[1] In 1912 a taller brick building of six floors and basement was completed on the adjacent northern site.

86) was designed by W. L. Vernon, the Government Architect, in the Federation Warehouse style, and built by the Public Works Department.

88, was reduced in depth by 10 metres to make way for the construction of Hickson Road, and an extra floor was added.

[2][3][1] A new plaza was created at the corner of George Street and Hickson Road in 1976–77, with the help of a donation from the Bushells Group of Companies, in recognition of its long association with The Rocks.

During 1984–85, work was undertaken to adapt the building for commercial offices, with shops, cafe and gallery at ground level.

The works included reconfiguration of some basement areas; reconfiguration of layout, entry foyer and retail areas on the ground floor (including removal of ground floor toilets from 88 George Street); refurbishment of toilets (except on third floor); lift upgrade; upgrade of fire stairs; rooftop works; new environmental control systems; redesign of Bushells Place; new external colour scheme; and implementation of some heritage interpretation strategies.

86 is in the Federation Warehouse style, with traditional face brickwork, stone lintels and string courses.

The internal structure was generally of heavy timber floors (with some concrete in service areas) on various combinations of steel I-beams, large hardwood beams and steel, cast iron and hardwood storey post columns.

The additional floors gave a strong visual link between the buildings through the use of matching brickwork, and the continuation of the piers, parapet and window treatment to No 86.

[1] Undoubtedly, the building had landmark status as one of the most prominent commercial institutions of The Rocks and Bushells enjoyed community and employee regard as a benevolent employer.

The massive scale of Bushells compared to its neighbours makes the building distinctive in its setting and in the townscape image of The Rocks.

The Green Building Council of Australia has awarded the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority project a 5-Star Green Star Office Design rating - the first time the rating has been awarded to a State heritage-listed office building.

[1] Old Bushells Factory was listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 10 May 2002 having satisfied the following criteria.

[1] The place is important in demonstrating the course, or pattern, of cultural or natural history in New South Wales.

[1] The building's location and occupation in The Rocks provide further evidence of the historical development of the area, across the 20th Century.

The building characterises the very special urban functions of The Rocks as a waterfront/ manufacturing/ processing area, which co-existed with its residential population.

In particular, the site of 86-88 George Street was one of the named locations identified at the time of the plague outbreaks and imbued with notoriety by the public officials anxious to pursue a broader range of objectives than slum clearance and civic improvement.

86 is associated with Dorman Long & Co, builders of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, they supplied the steel for the structural frame of the building.

[1] The place is important in demonstrating aesthetic characteristics and/or a high degree of creative or technical achievement in New South Wales.

[1] The place possesses uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of the cultural or natural history of New South Wales.

[1] The place is important in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a class of cultural or natural places/environments in New South Wales.

[1] This Wikipedia article was originally based on Old Bushells Factory and Warehouse and Bushells Place, entry number 1535 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.