Heritage and building restoration
The Observer Hotel: a 1908 pub, restored from cellar to chimney pots
Laidre restored The Observer Hotel at 69 George Street, The Rocks, for Barrelhouse Group. The 1908 pub is State Heritage listed and had been shut for six years. We built a new glass observatory over the courtyard, restored the whole building from the basement joists to the chimney pots, and brought it up to code without losing the original stair or heritage doors. Barrelhouse opened the doors on 29 September 2026.
Photo: Kitti Gould
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Client
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Barrelhouse Group
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Laidre team
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Matt Guillaumier (General Manager), Kadir Cullu (Junior Project Manager) and Dean Petinos (Site Manager)
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Site
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The Observer Hotel, 69 George Street, The Rocks NSW
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Built
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1908
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Heritage status
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State Heritage Register
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Heritage schedule
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172 items
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Reopened
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29 September 2026
Shut for six years, and State Heritage listed
Built in 1908 for Tooth & Co and designed by Halligan & Wilton, The Observer is on the State Heritage Register. It had sat shut for six years. It needed work from the cellar to the chimney pots, and it had to meet today's fire and safety codes without losing what makes it The Observer.
Photo: Kitti Gould
Photo: Kitti Gould
What we restored and upgraded
- Built a new glass observatory over the courtyard.
- Fixed the building from the bottom up: new hardwood basement joists on the original footings, termite-damaged beams replaced and the roof framing strengthened.
- Restored every sash window and heritage door, rebuilt both balconies in lead and put the chimney pots back on.
- Worked through all 172 items on the heritage schedules.
- Brought it up to code through three fire-engineered solutions, which kept the original stair.
- Fire-rated the original heritage doors with heritage door kits instead of replacing them.
- Lifted and relaid the heritage floorboards to rewire the building.
- Put in new fire detection, a fire-separated cellar and kitchen fire suppression.
- Had the heritage architect sign off every service and pipework route, and worked with Placemaking NSW's consent as landowner.
The Rocks got its pub back
Barrelhouse opened the doors on 29 September 2026. Since then The Observer has made Good Food's Sydney hit list for October, and Hospitality magazine has called it "one of Sydney's most iconic pubs".
Congratulations to everyone at Barrelhouse Group. It's been a privilege to bring this one back with you.
Photo: Kitti Gould
Thanks
None of it happens without our own crew. Huge thanks to the whole Laidre team, and to the trades and consultants who were with us every step of the way.
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