You are now standing in front of Hotel Steyne, one of Manly’s oldest buildings.
The pub was originally built in 1859 and immediately became a popular spot for the locals. It was destroyed by fire only four years after it opened but was rebuilt the following year and business continued to flourish. The current building was completed in 1936 at a time when Manly was undergoing a large redevelopment that provided the bones of the Manly we see today. Hotel Steyne is now a rare example of an intact inter-war art deco style hotel and continues to be a popular local venue (OEH). Despite passing through the hands of many owners, the pub has retained both its social and cultural significance and has undergone no significant redevelopment since 1936. Hotel Steyne is a rare example of a site where its past development has been influenced by a balance of cultural, social and economic values which still survive today.
Over the course of its existence, Hotel Steyne has held an important role in the local community. In the early days of Manly, before the construction of public buildings, it served as a venue for a variety of public meetings, from discussions about a gasworks and the provision of regular ferries, to the celebration of a Catholic Mass in 1867. In 1907, it was the location of a meeting of the Manly Surf Club where they discussed the rules and objectives of this newly formed organisation [1]. This history demonstrates that the Hotel is not only a part of Manly’s cultural and social identity, it has participated in the formation of this identity. Its redevelopment in the 1930s was sympathetic to its role in the community which has influenced subsequent owners to work to maintain this local significance.
Now cross over North Steyne and turn right to reach the next stop.
Images Credits:
1. Hotel Steyne from The Corso, Manly 2019.
2. Hotel Steyne, 1887, Manly Library MML/824.
3. Steyne Hotel 1930s, Hotel Steyne – ‘About’.
4. Hotel Steyne from North Steyne, Manly 2019.
Text References:
[1] Curby, P 2002.
Heritage Listing:
‘Hotel Steyne’, Local Government Agency, Office of Environment & Heritage, 2020017.