Sydney Art Deco Heritage

The Global Self Storage building is located at 602 Botany Road, Rosebery. The building has no heritage listing but has interesting Art Deco brickwork on the front facade albeit a bit garishly painted now.

The Knickerbocker Hotel located in Bathurst at 110 William Street is a famous Bathurst interwar Functionalist hotel was built in 1938. The Knickerbocker hotel is listed in the RAIA Registry of Significant 20th Century Buildings. Another view of the hotel An interesting feature is the glass brick feature up the building stairwell which allows natural lighting of what would otherwise be a dark and dingy stairway to the second floor guest rooms. The use of glass bricks was a very common practice among architects of the time.

Although not a true carillon (there is no dynamic control over the striking of the bells - they are struck remotely with equal force) the Bathust carillon is counted as one of three carillons located in Australia. The others are in Canberra and the University of Sydney. It has 35 bells and was constructed in 1933 as a memorial to the men of Bathurst and District who served in World War One. Doors commemorating both World Wars provide entry to an interior featuring an eternal flame of remembrance. It was first played regularly by local piano techician, Hector Lupp, who was the official carillonist up until 1945. He also continued to maintain the mechanism for many years until his death in 1989. Bathust carillon base detail Top detail Sources: Register of War Memorials Hector Lupp - A Son of Bathurst Exhibition 2008-09 SYdney University Carillon

The Burley Griffin Incinerator at 47-53 Forsyth Street in Glebe was designed by Walter Burley Griffin as a municipal incinerator, much smaller and simpler in design than the examples at Pyrmont and Willoughby. A large Semi-circular stone structure nearby is in the same style as the stone base of incinerator. It was built 1933. Facade detail It is a very inviting entrance. Abandon all hope ye who enter! Sources: Sydney Heritage Listings

The Hotel Gearin at 1-1a Goldsmith Place (off Great Western Highway) in Katoomba was established in 1881 with additions being made in 1919 and 1927. It is a beautiful example of the interwar Art Deco period. Originally built by George Biles, the Hotel Gearin was bought and named in 1910 by one Mrs Gearin who operated it as a guest house for women. It is said her ghost still haunts the building. The centrepiece of the hotel is its classic Australian “Long Bar” of the period. The Hotel Gearin was bought by Australian actor Jack Thompson in 2006 and it was a popular live music venue. In 2011 Thompson decided to sell the Hotel Gearin because it wasn't becoming the social hub he imagined./p> Facade detail More facade detail In 2019 the hotel bars were closed, so it is no longer operating as a pub, but is still offering affordable short-term accommodation. Since the "Gearin Hotel" is no longer the local watering hole we are now calling it simply "The G

The Bank Hotel at 324 King Street in Newtown was established in 1880 as the Bank Hotel and has never changed its name. It is a good example of a Victorian Hotel with alterations dating from the key period of hotel rebuilding in the Federation and interwar periods. in 1934 major alterations were made to the building with an art deco facade being added on by architect V.J. Davis. Facade detail More facade detail Sources: Sydney Heritage Listings

Now known as the Green Park hotel this two storey Victorian hotel at 936-938 Bourke Street in Zetland opened in 1886. It was overlaid with an interwar Art Deco style facade circa 1939. The Green Square Hotel still has ‘Zetland Hotel’ on the stained glass window facing the corner. Inside the Art Deco style bar, fittings and décor from its 1930s makeover are remarkably intact. Photo of the Zetland hotel facade Zetland hotel stained glass window I have reversed the image here so it reads correctly. It was designed to be looked at from outside on the street but I couldn't capture the colourful design in the glass from that perspective. Security bars on the hotel Hotel door detail Sources: Histories of Green Square Source - Histories of Green Square More Art Deco information can be found on the DecoWorks website.

The Royal Sheaf Hotel is located at 231 Burwood Road in Burwood on the corner of Liverpool Road. It was originally called the Ireland Hotel and only the ceiling is unchanged. Another Tooth & Co interWar functionalist hotel with Art Deco trimmings. A feature of the hotel is the terracotta tiled Art Deco design with a strong vertical element on the building facade. Royal Sheaf Art Deco facade detail A closer look at the glazed terracotta tile decoration. The colours are as vibrant now as when they were first set. Sources: NSW State Library

The Kurrajong Hotel at 106 Swanson Street, Erskineville is another example of an interwar Sydney hotel designed and built by Tooth and Co architects Copeman Lemont and Keesing in 1938. The hotel is listed in the RAIA Register of 20th Century Significant Buildings. The "easy going" Kurrajong is one of four in the Erskineville area, the others being the Rose of Australia, the Erskineville Hotel and the Imperial Hotel.

The Marlborough Hotel site at 145 King Street Newtown has housed hotels since the 1860s. The first was the Daniel Lambert Inn which was replaced by another hotel to be called the Marlborough Hotel in 1901. The first Marlborough was replaced by the present Marlborough Hotel in 1940. The hotel is part of an important group of interwar Hotels located on King Street, which also includes the Union Hotel and the Town Hall Hotel. The building was designed by John M Hellyer. It is also known as "the Marley". Another view of the hotel looking down King Street. Sources: Sydney Council Heritage Database

The Zanzibar Hotel at 323 King Street in Newtown occupies the site of John Webster’s New Town store which existed there in the early 1800s and was where the name Newtown originated. The hotel was established as the Daniel Webster Hotel in 1863 and later renamed the Oxford Hotel in 1875. It has some nice Art Deco ornament on the facade which was probably added during the 1930s. In the 1980’s it was renamed the Oxford Tavern and after major refurbishments with an African theme circa 2001-2002 was renamed the Zanzibar. King street facade Facade detail Sources: Sydney Archives - Newtown Project GDay Pubs Australia

The Golden Barley Hotel at 165-169 Edgeware Road in Enmore was opened in 1939 and was designed by architects Joy and Pollit. It is recognised in the RAIA Reister of Significant 20th Century Buildings as a prime example of Art Deco architecture. Many original features are still in evidence throughout the hotel particularly upstairs. Golden Barley facade detail Public bar ceiling There have been several internal renovations over the years but thankfully the curved ceiling mouldings have been retained thus preserving the Art Deco flavour. Public bar The Public Bar layout is markedly different to the original layout with the bar area now along the back wall. The give away to the layout change is the seating area underneath the ceiling moulding which runs the length of the room. These moulded ceiling highlights were an integral design feature of the bar service area below and usually mirrored the shape of the bar. Here is a picture showing how the Public Bar was ori