The stunning makeover of the Imperial Hotel at Clifton is being given a top nod with the renovation shortlisted for a National Trust (NSW) Heritage Award.
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Owned by the Shellharbour Workers' Club, the new vision for the once-derelict hotel was created by Welsh + Major Architects, and is nominated for the "Adaptive Re-use" category alongside projects in the Southern Highlands, Newcastle, Walsh Bay and Sydney's Inner West (amongst others).
"Although it's been a difficult couple of years, the projects presented this year are of an exceptional standard and a great reminder that there's much to appreciate, acknowledge and celebrate," said Matthew Devine, Chair of the National Trust Heritage Awards Jury.
The Imperial's renovation cost somewhere between $10 million and $12 million with nods to its past in every room.
There are original orange tiles on the walls, brickwork and repurposed timber floors that now line entrance ways, ceiling roses, brick fireplaces, the reinstatement of a front verandah.
Old lighthouse lights have been used and there is a mural that pays homage to former owners Ruby and Jack Hargrave.
There is also an original cellar door that shows stairs that lead to an old bar.
Subtle notes of a bygone era also line the walls with old newspapers and old bottles, uncovered during construction, now proudly displayed.
The front verandah, timber staircase, decorative arches and five fireplaces have also been restored to their original glory.
"We've breathed new life into a historic Illawarra building and I couldn't be prouder of the result," Debbie Cosmos said previously, Shellharbour Workers' Club executive officer.
"The venue will offer a bespoke hospitality experience that is unlike anything the Illawarra has seen and it's finally time for the community to make some new memories within the walls of the iconic building."
The Imperial was the second pub for the mining village Clifton and originally established by Henry and Mary Kane as a single-story timber structure in the 1880's.
Reschs Brewery Limited bought the hotel at auction in 1910 and demolished it to make way for the two-storey design we know of today, built in 1911.
It's served many ales over the decades to coal miners, northern Illawarra residents and Sydney tourists, with many tales to tell.
In late 2003, the Imperial was forced to close - a landslide that caused the closure of Lawrence Hargrave Drive (and the subsequent construction of the Sea Cliff Bridge) for three years was the "death knell" for the pub, according to historian Mick Roberts.
Left derelict and abandoned for more than a decade, it was the Shellharbour Workers Club who took the reigns from WIN Corporation in 2015 and decided to polish the rough diamond.
Their plans originally split the community, with many welcoming the makeover of the dilapidated building though some residents expressed concerns over noise, height, traffic and parking.
The heritage awards are an annual celebration of outstanding practice in the field of heritage, awarding excellence in conservation, protection, and interpretation of Aboriginal, built, natural and cultural heritage over the past year.
Winners will be announced at the National Trust Heritage Awards ceremony on May 13 in Pyrmont.
The 2022 National Trust Heritage Awards Shortlist:
Aboriginal Heritage
- Country: Future Fire, Future Farming - entered by Thames & Hudson Australia
- Design: Building on Country - entered by Thames & Hudson Australia
- In Search of...My First Nations of Australia Ancestors - entered by Society of Australian Genealogists
- Lighting the Town Halls - entered by Inner West Council
- Woollahra Aboriginal Heritage Study - entered by Woollahra Council
Adaptive Re-Use
- Crystalbrook Kingsley - entered by EJE Architecture
- Dawn Fraser Baths - entered by TKD Architects
- Ngununggula, Southern Highlands Regional Art Gallery at Retford Park - entered by Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects
- Nihon University Newcastle Campus - entered by design worldwide partnership
- Stephenson's Mill - entered by Susan Hutton
- The Imperial at Clifton - entered by Shellharbour Workers' Club with Welsh + Major Architects
- Walsh Bay Arts Precinct - entered by Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects
Conservation - Built Heritage
- Armidale Railway Station Conservation Works - entered by Transport for NSW
- Baddeley Cottage - entered by Deb Dunn
- Bathurst Courthouse Facade and Roofing Conservations Works - entered by Public Works Advisory
- Boer War Memorial Conservation Works - entered by Parramatta Park Trust
- Carriage Room Restoration, Bella Vista Farm - entered by Friends of Bella Vista Farm
- Hinchcliff House - entered by Carter Williamson Architects
- St Michaels Anglican Cathedral - entered by Australian Heritage Restorations
- Sub Station No.164 - entered by Built
- The Former Hinchcliff Woolstore - entered by Urbis Pty Ltd
- The Great Cobar Museum and Visitors Information Centre - entered by Dunn & Hillam Architects
- The Peapes Building - entered by Brookfield Properties and GML Heritage
Conservation - Interiors and Objects
- Old Dubbo Gaol Upgrade - Stage 1 - entered by Dubbo Regional Council
- St Augustine's Catholic Church, Interior Lighting Upgrade - entered by Haron Robson Group
- Sub Station No.164 - entered by Built
- The Discovery of an Old Master Panel Painting Masquerading as a 19th Century Copy - entered by International Conservation Services
- The Great Cobar Museum and Visitors Information Centre - entered by Dunn & Hillam Architectsrevit
- Tulkiyan Interiors Conservation - entered by Ku-ring-gai Council
Continuing Tradition
- Boer War Memorial Conservation Works - entered by Parramatta Park Trust
- Richmond Park Cannons & Carriage Conservation - entered by International Conservation Services
- Susannah Place - entered by Artisan of Stone
Education and Interpretation
- E-Museum for Perisher Historical Society - entered by Perisher Historical Society
- Locomotive Workshops Revitalisation - entered by Curio Projects
- Old Dubbo Gaol Upgrade - Stage 1 - entered by Dubbo Regional Council
- Rocks Discovery Museum Refresh & Dedicated Website - entered by Place Management NSW
- Stories Of Our Town - entered by University of Newcastle Library
Events, Exhibitions and Tours
- 'A Street of Strange Delight' Guided Walking Tour - entered by Zeny Edwards
- Caring for Country In a Climate Crises Webinar Series - entered by Caring for Country Committee
- How to Move a Zoo - entered by Sydney Living Museums
- In Search of...My First Nations of Australia Ancestors - entered by Society of Australian Genealogists
- Locomotive 3801 Relaunch Events Program - entered by Transport Heritage NSW
- Old Dubbo Gaol Upgrade - Stage 1 - entered by Dubbo Regional Council
Resources and Publications
- Andrew Andersons: Architecture and the Public Realm - entered by NewSouth
- BirdCast - entered by Sustainable Farms and Australian National University
- Blue Mountains Heritage Strategy 2021-2025 - entered by Blue Mountains City Council
- Caring for Country In a Climate Crises Webinar Series - entered by Caring for Country Committee
- First Knowledges Series - entered by Thames & Hudson Australia
- Heritage Council of NSW CMP Review Project - entered by Heritage NSW and Heritage Council of NSW
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Ashleigh Tullis
Desiree Savage
At the helm of Australia's premier publication for people aged over 55, covering hard hitting issues, travel, lifestyle and entertainment. Got a hot tip? Email me - edit@TheSenior.com.au
At the helm of Australia's premier publication for people aged over 55, covering hard hitting issues, travel, lifestyle and entertainment. Got a hot tip? Email me - edit@TheSenior.com.au
