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.
Glove Stretchers Gloves have been used since prehistory and they have been worn for warmth, protection, a badge of distinction and as part of fashionable dress. During the Victorian era gloves were a status symbol and a lady wouldn’t dream of going outside without her gloves. Gloves were made of kid, thread, silk or washing…
Leonard “Len” Daniels was born in England in November 1891. Like a great many of his contemporaries, he joined the British Army soon after the outbreak of the First World War. Unlike most of them, Daniels served his country in India. At some point, he asked for and obtained a transfer to the Royal Flying…
Frank Jones’ downfall came when he accidentally set alight to a shed at Concord Quarry and was badly injured. While he was being rescued police found two revolvers nearby. These had been used in several holdups and they led to his identification. Two years before the quarry explosion, Jones had been sentenced for holding up…
It is with great sadness that we announce the death of our most dedicated member, Lois Michel on Sunday 1st December, 2024. Lois had been the Secretary of the Concord Historical Society and then the Canada Bay Heritage Society since its inception in 1969. She was awarded the OAM for her service to the community….
With the potential for a further extension of the lockdown due to Covid we do not know when the museum will re-open. As a result, we have cancelled our advertised October speaker – but we will certainly invite him back once things begin to open up again. Unfortunately, we had to cancel our July Rivendell…
My mother tended to keep messy drawers and cupboards in our family home. The dressing table drawers were chock a block with all sorts of things. The dining room sideboard drawers virtually bulged at the seams. The sideboard had three large drawers which contained a variety of tablecloths, lace doilies, small cases of spoons and…
3 Comments
rod jeffery•
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 ??
Ian Smith•
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.
John Becker•
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!
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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!