The original Palace Hotel was opened in 1886, the same year as the gasworks It was built on the river at the end of Tennyson Road, where the River Quays Marina now stands.
The first licensee was John Stuart. The hotel, known as Mongomery’s Palace, was a distinctive building with verandas and a tower which made it a popular vantage point for the viewing the sculling and rowing races along the Parramatta River.
This hotel was demolished in the mid-1920s and a new hotel, still named the Palace, was built further up Tennyson Road, nearly opposite the entrance to the gasworks. The gasworks entrance was also the Mortlake tram terminus.
Second Palace Hotel
The hotel became a very popular watering hole for the thirsty workers and was one of Sydney’s early-opener hotels. This variation to the normal hotel opening hours was to accommodate workers coming off night shift.
The hotel still serves excellent beer and has incorporated a bistro.
The Palace’s most striking feature is the size of its men’s toilet. “Big enough to hold a dance in”, quote the locals. This feature is a constant reminder that while the gasworks operated, the Palace dispensed huge volumes of beer to its many thirsty patrons.
Christmas is celebrated as the birthday of Jesus although there is no evidence he was born on that day. It was declared his birthday in 440 AD. In England Christmas was originally called Yule. The old Saxon word Yule meant mid-winter. However when the Saxons were converted to Christianity the word Yule came to mean…
Perhaps you’ve packed, compiled or received a Christmas hamper full of goodies in the last few days. About this time 99 years ago, the Anzacs who had evacuated from Gallipoli were eagerly awaiting their Christmas hampers. Our lead photograph shows women distributing Christmas billies to men in Cairo, Egypt, December 1915. Driver Jack (John) O….
Russell Lea Manor, also known as Russell Lea House, was the home of Russell Barton (1830-1916), and was situated north of Lyons Road between Sibbick Street and Lyons Road. The suburb of Russell Lea takes its name from this grand home. Russell Barton rose from humble beginnings to become a pastoralist, mine-owner and politician. In the late 1870s…
Almost exactly 100 years ago, another pandemic was causing devastation around the world. At a time where digital banking and contactless payments couldn’t easily substitute the use of cash, Danny John and Juli Liddicoat investigate what the world looked like for Commonwealth Bank employees and customers, as seen through the eyes of the Founding Governor…
Soft Drinks: These days, we don’t give much thought to soft drinks. They come in metal cans or they come in plastic bottles, we open them, we drink them, we burp, we throw them away. We think of them as modern inventions. But they’re not, are they? Back in the old days, soft drinks were…
Cabarita Road has been variously referred to as Cabarita Park Road or Cabarita Point Road. It has had several spellings including “Cabareta” as well as “Cabaritta”. By whatever name it has remained one of the districts most significant thoroughfares and been witness to the changing character of the locality and more broadly of the city…
3 Comments
I have read before of the size of the men’s toilet but scratch my head . The men’s toilet still seems part of the original construction yet certainly is not huge by any measure . Does anyone know why the toilet size claim was made ??
There used to be another men’s toilet where the gaming room is. Entry was through doors where they now have the TAB corner from the main bar. That room was very large and suspect that was the reference.
Coincidentally I used the ‘Mens’ there today! I noticed the ladies is adjacent in the same access way, so perhaps they moved the Ladies from another location in the hotel and then could use the former space for something else?
My first time in the hotel which has lovely retained historical features. I will be back!
I have read before of the size of the men’s toilet but scratch my head . The men’s toilet still seems part of the original construction yet certainly is not huge by any measure . Does anyone know why the toilet size claim was made ??
There used to be another men’s toilet where the gaming room is. Entry was through doors where they now have the TAB corner from the main bar. That room was very large and suspect that was the reference.
Coincidentally I used the ‘Mens’ there today! I noticed the ladies is adjacent in the same access way, so perhaps they moved the Ladies from another location in the hotel and then could use the former space for something else?
My first time in the hotel which has lovely retained historical features. I will be back!