The Fortune of War Hotel is a heritage-listed

pub A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...

located at 137 George Street, in the inner city

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

suburb of The Rocks in the

City of Sydney The City of Sydney is the local government area covering the Sydney central business district and surrounding inner city suburbs of the greater metropolitan area of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Established by Act of Parliament in 1842, th ...

local government area of

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

, Australia. It was designed by the Tooth & Co. resident architect and built in 1922 by H. J. & H. W. Thompson. The property is owned by

Property NSW Property NSW is a statutory body of the Government of New South Wales that manages the State's significant property portfolio and its places. Formed on 1 July 2016, Property NSW encompasses the entities of the former Government Property NSW (GPN ...

, an

agency Agency may refer to: Organizations * Institution, governmental or others ** Advertising agency or marketing agency, a service business dedicated to creating, planning and handling advertising for its clients ** Employment agency, a business that ...

of the

Government of New South Wales The Government of New South Wales, also known as the NSW Government, is the Australian state democratic administrative authority of New South Wales. It is currently held by a coalition of the Liberal Party and the National Party. The Governmen ...

. It was added to the

New South Wales State Heritage Register The New South Wales State Heritage Register, also known as NSW State Heritage Register, is a heritage list of places in the state of New South Wales, Australia, that are protected by New South Wales legislation, generally covered by the Heritag ...

on 10 May 2002.

History

The site of the Fortune of War was originally part of the first hospital, erected in 1788. By 1790 the original tent hospital had been replaced by a portable hospital which came out with the

Second Fleet The United States Second Fleet is a numbered fleet in the United States Navy responsible for the East Coast and North Atlantic Ocean. The Fleet was established following World War II. In September 2011, Second Fleet was deactivated in view of ...

. After the Rum Hospital opened in 1816 in Macquarie Street the buildings on George Street were demolished and the site became an early quarry.

Ownership by Samuel Terry

The site of the Fortune of War was formalised in the survey of the township carried out in the early 1830s, the site was classified as Lot 7 of City Section 84, comprising an area of 1 rod 15 perches. In January 1841 the allotment was officially granted to the trustees, executrix and executors of the estate of the emancipist Samuel Terry, these being Rosetta Terry (widow), John Terry Hughes (nephew and son-in-law), Tom White Melville Winder of

Windermere Windermere (sometimes tautology (language), tautologically called Windermere Lake to distinguish it from the nearby town of Windermere, Cumbria (town), Windermere) is the largest natural lake in England. More than 11 miles (18 km) in leng ...

(family friend and long standing business acquaintance) and James Norton (solicitor). Terry's interest in the site seems to date from at least when an area of "26 rods" situated on the "west side of George Street" was leased to Terry for the term of 21 years. Terry arrived in Sydney in 1801 on a seven-year sentence convicted of theft. He was eventually described as the "

Botany Bay Botany Bay (Dharawal: ''Kamay''), an open oceanic embayment, is located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, south of the Sydney central business district. Its source is the confluence of the Georges River at Taren Point and the Cook ...

Rothschild" and at his death in 1838 left a personal estate of , an annual rental income from his Sydney properties of and "land and property which defies assessment". Terry's business interests included brewing and he was occasionally a publican. On the site of the Fortune of War, Terry constructed a terrace of three buildings (today's 139-143 George Street) completed in the mid to late 1820s. The footprint of this building, a terrace of three with a breakfront is marked in the Robert Russell survey of 1834.

Conversion as a hotel

The building was constructed as a Public House known as "The Fortune of War". The first recorded licensee of the public house was John Boreham in 1830 for the sale of wines, malt and liquor. Many publicans were former artisans such as stonemasons, like Boreham, a former miller. In the 1822 Land and Stock Muster Boreham was listed as a miller in government employ on a 14-year sentence. 1828 he was listed in the census as a former convict who arrived in Sydney in 1815 on the "'' Marquis of Wellington''" and employed at that time as a dealer. From 1833 the publican of the Fortune of War was Walter Nottingham Palmer, where he remained until 1839 when he took over the licence of the New York Tavern, also on George Street. In 1844 the lease of the Fortune of War was renewed by Robert White Moore, although he had held the licence from 1842. The lease was again renewed in 1851 for a further seven years. During this period Moore held a late-night (midnight) licence. In 1861 Moore acquired the freehold ownership of the property through a purchase from Thomas Smart. Smart's interest in the property originated from a mortgage taken out in 1851 and the partition of the Terry Estate made in 1860. Robert White Moore continued to hold the licence for the hotel up until the time of his death in 1870 when it passed to his relatives. Thomas Moore held it for the 1870 and 1880s and his nephew Benjamin Robert Moore for the 1890s. During this period the hotel was managed by the following publicans: * 1873-Mrs Frances Cowell * 1879-1880Alexander Yeend * -1893Arthur Buchanan * 1894James Irving * 1895James McGuire * 1896William Biscoff * 1897-1899Hector Allen Bogle * 1900Archibald Laing The commercial success of The Fortune of War is indicated by the continual licensing of the premises from at least 1830.

Resumption by the NSW Government

The

bubonic plague Bubonic plague is one of three types of plague caused by the plague bacterium (''Yersinia pestis''). One to seven days after exposure to the bacteria, flu-like symptoms develop. These symptoms include fever, headaches, and vomiting, as well a ...

broke out on the waterfront in January 1900, prompting the

Government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...

to resume the entire Rocks and

Millers Point Millers Point is an inner-city suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is on the north-western edge of the Sydney central business district, adjacent to The Rocks and is part of the local government area of the C ...

area. Large scale demolitions followed and the area was administered by the

Sydney Harbour Trust The Sydney Harbour Trust began operations on 1 November 1900 with responsibility for the Navigation Department and Marine Board of Sydney Harbour. The Trust, as governed by an act of the New South Wales Parliament consisted of three commissione ...

, then the Maritime Services Board and in 1970 The Rocks was handed to the

Sydney Cove Redevelopment Authority The Sydney Cove Redevelopment Authority was an agency of the Government of New South Wales from 1970 to 1999. Its predecessor was the Sydney Cove Authority. It was established on 12 January 1970 under the ''Sydney Cove Redevelopment Act 1968'' to ...

. The Fortune of War continued to trade until 1920 when Tooth & Co. Ltd. entered into a head-lease with the Sydney Harbour Trust for 45 years. Shortly after this the 19th century building was demolished and the extant hotel constructed. The first month of trading in the new building was in December 1921. In March 1976 Tooth & Co relinquished their head lease to the Sydney Cove Redevelopment Authority. Since that date leases have been granted to the following publicans: * 1978-1987 John Walker Hook and * 1987–present (2009) Robert John Keyes. Keyes was also one of the lessees of the Russell Hotel at 143 George Street and the operation of the two properties merged at this time. The Fortune of War Hotel with its longstanding licence and retention of original bar and fittings contributes to The Rocks as a unique historic neighbourhood.

Description

The Fortune of War Hotel is a three-storey face brick building with stucco detailing, of which much remains. It shows the Californian Bungalow style as applied to a commercial hotel building.Clive Lucas Stapleton, 1999: 59 The building has three levels to George Street and a modern rear addition, built in a traditional style. The building has a central recessed

balcony A balcony (from it, balcone, "scaffold") is a platform projecting from the wall of a building, supported by columns or console brackets, and enclosed with a balustrade, usually above the ground floor. Types The traditional Maltese balcony is ...

on the first floor and a

parapet A parapet is a barrier that is an extension of the wall at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony, walkway or other structure. The word comes ultimately from the Italian ''parapetto'' (''parare'' 'to cover/defend' and ''petto'' 'chest/breast'). Whe ...

wall to the street. There is an

awning An awning or overhang is a secondary covering attached to the exterior wall of a building. It is typically composed of canvas woven of acrylic, cotton or polyester yarn, or vinyl laminated to polyester fabric that is stretched tightly over a lig ...

over the footpath, typical of those along George Street. Externally, to George Street, original wall tiles, face

brickwork Brickwork is masonry produced by a bricklayer, using bricks and mortar. Typically, rows of bricks called '' courses'' are laid on top of one another to build up a structure such as a brick wall. Bricks may be differentiated from blocks by s ...

, rendered trim, and terrazzo thresholds remain intact. Timber doors and windows appear in good condition. Internally, the general layout of public areas appears original, including features such as wall tiles, ceilings, central bar and other joinery. The original stair to upper level bedrooms remains, but is blocked off. The rear area is a half level above the George Street ground floor level. There appears to be no above ground evidence of the original building on the site. The existing building (built by 1922) is relatively intact. There have been major changes upstairs, with links to the Russell Hotel.

Heritage listing

The Fortune of War Hotel and site are of State heritage significance for their historical and scientific cultural values. The site and building are also of State heritage significance for their contribution to The Rocks area which is of State Heritage significance in its own right. The site demonstrates longevity of European use that is historically associated with the early colonial development in Sydney in being part of the first general hospital (1788-1816) and part of a stone terrace erected for Samuel Terry in which became The Fortune of War Hotel The building employs robust brick architecture typical of the 1920/30s. The building makes a positive contribution to the general streetscape. It remains relatively intact in its presentation to the street, retaining original features such as wall tiles, face brick, rendered trim and other features. Internally, the main public areas also retain much of their original form and detail, including the wall tile, bar and other joinery. The Fortune of War Hotel has social significance as an important feature in The Rocks Conservation area, and contributes strongly to the character of The Rocks. The Hotel has social significance in its traditional role as a meeting place and abode of working men within The Rocks area, and continues to provide the service for which it was designed to not only the local residents but also to visitors to the area. The community holds the Fortune of War Hotel in esteem as evidenced by its inclusion on walking tours, and its listings on the registers of the National Estate, the Institute of Architects and the National Trust. The Fortune of War Hotel is representative of a type of building traditionally associated with a meeting place and abode for working men within the traditional mixed residential, industrial, commercial and maritime uses of The Rocks area. Fortune of War Hotel was listed on the

on 10 May 2002 having satisfied the following criteria. The place is important in demonstrating the course, or pattern, of cultural or natural history in New South Wales. The Fortune of War Hotel and site are of State heritage significance for their historical and scientific cultural values. The site and building are also of State heritage significance for their contribution to The Rocks area which is of State Heritage significance in its own right. The item meets this criterion at a state level owing to the longevity of European use of the site, which is associated with the early colonial development in Sydney in being part of the general hospital site (1788-1816) and part of a stone terrace of three constructed for Samuel Terry. The subsequent continuous use of the site as a hotel is closely associated with the later economic and social development of The Rocks area as a place of residence and travellers. The place has a strong or special association with a person, or group of persons, of importance of cultural or natural history of New South Wales's history. The item is associated with Samuel Terry, known as the Botany Bay Rothschild for his astute business dealings. Terry owned the site and had the original Fortune of War constructed upon it. The place is important in demonstrating aesthetic characteristics and/or a high degree of creative or technical achievement in New South Wales. The building employs robust brick architecture typical of the 1920/30s as such it is an important example of an inter-war era hotel premises in the

Federation Free Style Federation architecture is the architectural style in Australia that was prevalent from around 1890 to 1915. The name refers to the Federation of Australia on 1 January 1901, when the Australian colonies collectively became the Commonwealth of ...

that retains key features of licensed hotel architecture of the day in the wall tiles, bar area and joinery in general. The building makes a positive contribution to the general streetscape. It remains relatively intact in its presentation to the street, retaining original features such as wall tiles, face brick, rendered trim and other features. The façade contributes to the streetscape of George Street in The Rocks, which is the most intact 19th and early 20th century streetscape in the city. The place has a strong or special association with a particular community or cultural group in New South Wales for social, cultural or spiritual reasons. The Fortune of War Hotel has social significance as an important feature in The Rocks Conservation area, and contributes strongly to the character of The Rocks. The Hotel has social significance in its traditional role as a meeting place and abode of working men within The Rocks area, and continues to provide the service for which it was designed to not only the local residents but also to visitors to the area. The community holds the Fortune of War Hotel in esteem as evidenced by its inclusion on walking tours, and its listings on the registers of the National Estate, the Institute of Architects and the National Trust. The place has potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of the cultural or natural history of New South Wales. The item meets this criterion at a local level owing to rarity of type and integrity which has potential to reveal new information about the building and its stylistic attributes. The item meets this criterion at a local level owing to the potential of the site to reveal evidence of earlier site uses and structures. The place possesses uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of the cultural or natural history of New South Wales. The item meets this criterion at a state level as a unique example of an inter-war era licensed hotel that retains its public bar top hamper within one of the few authentic historic interiors in The Rocks accessible to the public, The place is important in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a class of cultural or natural places/environments in New South Wales. The Fortune of War Hotel is representative of a type of building traditionally associated with a meeting place and abode for working men within the traditional mixed residential, industrial, commercial and maritime uses of The Rocks area.

References

Bibliography

* * * * * *

Attribution

External links

* * {{Pubs in Sydney New South Wales State Heritage Register sites located in The Rocks George Street, Sydney Pubs in The Rocks, New South Wales Articles incorporating text from the New South Wales State Heritage Register 1820s establishments in Australia Hotel buildings completed in 1921 New South Wales places listed on the defunct Register of the National Estate