One of the greats, built 1889-91 was on the greatest buildings to grace the Sydney skyline. Hotel Australia attracted international attention when the Daily Telegraph ran with a story about giant scaffold 150ft was erected to serve the tallest building south of the Equator. Sydneys first (1st class hotel) with 200rooms was last word in modernity.When opened in July11,1891, first guest was Sarah Bernhardt, and over the years a whos who stayed at the hotel from Mark Twain, Laurence Olivier,Katherie Hepburn, Alfred Hitchcock, Rod Taylor,Charlton Heston and Vincent Price. The basement housed machinery to run the electricity,lifts and hot water.The interior boasted Sicilian marble and cedar staircases., mosaic tiles, polished granite columns. The lifts were largest in the country and had a 120ft rise. There were bar and billiard rooms, writing, smoking and reading rooms.The entry lead to a grand central court ,the most striking feature rising up through full height of tower topped with glass enclosure. The building bulked high on skyline becoming the tallest skyscraper in the colony at 8storeys and 182ft to dome.Arc lights topped the dome at 204ft high. In 1922 ,3 floors were added which ment removal of dome. More hotel demand included a Martin Place wing in 1938.In late 60s the building was showing signs of lost profit and finally closed June30,1971. The biggest auction ever seen in Australia took place with disposal of silverware, glassware, linen,tables and 1000 chairs.Gone & scattered far & wide were all the items that had constituted what at one time had been Sydney’s distinctive & grand hotel whose sumptuousness & personality had sadly fallen victim to the times. All that remained now were the memories. The demolition hammers soon reduced the “once tallest building in the city” to rubble another “tallest building” rose in its place being the monolithic 60 storey MLC Centre of 1977.
Posted on: Wed, 30 Jul 2014 00:36:45 +0000
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