Kookaburra2011
MEMORIES: Royal Naval House, 32-34 Grosvenor Street, The Rocks, Sydney - NSW Heritage and Conservation Register.
4493. Ddesigned by architect Varney Parkes and built in 1890, here are some notes on Royal Naval House extracted from NSW Hefritage and Conservation Register wesbite:
'....Commodore Goodenough the Commander of the Royal Navy's Australian Station in the late 19th Century and John Shearston who were insturmental in establishing practical welfare for sailors when ashore. Shearston was the first superintendant of Royal Naval House and it was nicknamed 'Johnnies' by sailors after him. Royal Naval House has social signficance for thousands of Australian and British seamen who have lodged there in its more than 80 years of existance. As a group, the buildings (Federation Hall, Royal Naval House, Johnson's Building, 231 George Street & Brooklyn Hotel) have considerable significance...'
.The original façade is a well-designed, rich and vigorous piece of architecture of the period, and the 1907 extension is well integrated with the original. A stucco facade of this richness is fairly rare in Sydney. The Stair Hall is distinguished more for its scale and boldness than its elegance, but nevertheless, it is well done and appropriate to the rest of the building. The other interior spaces are designed either as reading rooms or dormitories. As such, they are large open spaces with simple detailing, and therein is their virtue. The Courtyard in the original form is a unique, appealing and intriguing space. It is almost as though Varney Parkes had designed a four-storey building with a verandah on the back, accessed by French doors, and then had been told to add a Dining Hall etc. on an awkward site. The solution admits lots of sunlight to the main building (considering the height) and soaks up the odd shape on the North-West corner.
The full descriptions and history of the buildings and its surrondings can be read here:
www.shfa.nsw.gov.au/sydney-About_us-Our_heritage_role-Her...
Photo: NSW Heritage annd Conservation Register website.
MEMORIES: Royal Naval House, 32-34 Grosvenor Street, The Rocks, Sydney - NSW Heritage and Conservation Register.
4493. Ddesigned by architect Varney Parkes and built in 1890, here are some notes on Royal Naval House extracted from NSW Hefritage and Conservation Register wesbite:
'....Commodore Goodenough the Commander of the Royal Navy's Australian Station in the late 19th Century and John Shearston who were insturmental in establishing practical welfare for sailors when ashore. Shearston was the first superintendant of Royal Naval House and it was nicknamed 'Johnnies' by sailors after him. Royal Naval House has social signficance for thousands of Australian and British seamen who have lodged there in its more than 80 years of existance. As a group, the buildings (Federation Hall, Royal Naval House, Johnson's Building, 231 George Street & Brooklyn Hotel) have considerable significance...'
.The original façade is a well-designed, rich and vigorous piece of architecture of the period, and the 1907 extension is well integrated with the original. A stucco facade of this richness is fairly rare in Sydney. The Stair Hall is distinguished more for its scale and boldness than its elegance, but nevertheless, it is well done and appropriate to the rest of the building. The other interior spaces are designed either as reading rooms or dormitories. As such, they are large open spaces with simple detailing, and therein is their virtue. The Courtyard in the original form is a unique, appealing and intriguing space. It is almost as though Varney Parkes had designed a four-storey building with a verandah on the back, accessed by French doors, and then had been told to add a Dining Hall etc. on an awkward site. The solution admits lots of sunlight to the main building (considering the height) and soaks up the odd shape on the North-West corner.
The full descriptions and history of the buildings and its surrondings can be read here:
www.shfa.nsw.gov.au/sydney-About_us-Our_heritage_role-Her...
Photo: NSW Heritage annd Conservation Register website.