Shipwright's Arms Hotel

The Shipwright's Arms is an historic de-licensed pub located in Balmain East, a suburb in the inner west region of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The former pub looks out across Sydney Harbour to the Sydney Harbour Bridge and currently houses luxury apartments.

Not to be confused with Shipwrights Arms Inn.

Shipwright's Arms
Former Shipwright's Arms in 2024
Former names	Dolphin Hotel
General information
Status	Completed
Type	Australian pub (former) Luxury apartments (current)
Location	10 Darling Street, Balmain East, New South Wales
Country	Australia
Coordinates	33°51′26″S 151°11′44″E

History

As one of the first licensed establishments in Balmain, it was built by shipwright John Bell in 1841. In 1844 it was named the Dolphin Hotel when it was leased to publican William Walker,^[1] a former convict who had been transported from Birmingham, England at the age of 16 on 24 May 1827. It was claimed back in 1846 by John Bell and renamed The Shipwright's Arms.^[2][3] It was owned by Bell and his successors as owner of the adjacent Fenwick & Co Boat Store until sold to Miller's Brewery in 1950.^[4]

Although numbered as 10 Darling Street, it is effectively the first building in Balmain's main thoroughfare, and one of only a few waterside establishments. A former favourite haunt of watermen and surreptitious after-hours drinkers, its license was transferred to Miller's Hotel in Manly Vale in 1965.^[5]

References

1. "DOMESTIC INTELLIGENCE". The Sydney Morning Herald. Vol. XVII, no. 2150. 5 April 1844. p. 4 – via National Library of Australia.
2. "DOMESTIC INTELLIGENCE. PUBLICANS' LICENSES". The Sydney Morning Herald. Vol. XXI, no. 2782. 11 April 1846. p. 2 – via National Library of Australia.
3. "Advertising". The Sydney Morning Herald. Vol. XXI, no. 2874. 5 August 1846. p. 1 – via National Library of Australia.
4. "Fenwick & Co Boat Store". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H01396. Retrieved 2 June 2018. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence.
5. Davidson, Bonnie; Nicholls, Debby; Hamey, Kath (1991). Called to the bar : 150 years of pubs in Balmain & Rozelle. Balmain Association. ISBN 978-0-9599502-6-7.