The White Horse Hotel is a three-storey
public hotel located at 381
Crown Street in
Surry Hills, close to the
central business district
A central business district (CBD) is the commercial and business centre of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides with the "city ...
of
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 ...
,
New South Wales,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
. Its appearance is distinguished by a large sculpture of a silver stallion constructed of galvanised steel, created in a rearing pose and set atop its facade.
History
The White Horse Hotel was constructed in the 1930s when Surry Hills was a working-class suburb.
British historian Jane Peyton writes that at that time, the hotel was a central gathering place for colourful characters.
Since then, Surry Hills has become gentrified over time and with it the Hotel has improved significantly. The Hotel was refurbished in 2004, at which time a new bar and a brasserie were installed, and the silver stallion was lifted onto the roof, but initially had difficulty convincing the
City of Sydney it was a work of art, rather than an advertisement.
According to Peyton, the sculpture, by
Andy Scott, was challenging to import. It was made in Scotland, cut into pieces, shipped to Australia and then reconstructed on the roof.
In 2005 the Hotel was purchased by
Precision Group
Precision Group is an Australian private property investment and management company based in Sydney. Founded in the 1990s by Shaun Bonétt, it owns property in Australia and New Zealand.
History
Precision Group was founded in 1994 by Shaun ...
for $7.5 million.
The site was again refurbished in 2014 to update lounge areas, restaurant, function room, and a roof top terrace and garden.
Notably, designer Matt Woods commissioned local artists such as Ben Morris to decorate the walls in the downstairs section with murals around the theme "café racer-inspired" bar as part of an approach "rooted in the heritage of the site".
See also
*
List of public houses in Australia
References
External links
Company website
{{Pubs in Sydney
Pubs in Sydney
1930 establishments in Australia
Hotel buildings completed in 1930
Hotels established in the 1930s
Surry Hills, New South Wales