The New Australian Hotel

Broadway Chippendale, 1938
Between 1st January 1938 and 31st December 1938
This 1938 view from the corner of George Street West (Broadway) and Abercrombie Street looks east, showcasing the bustling south side of the street. Dominating the scene on the right is the newly constructed Australian Hotel at 100–102 Broadway, completed in 1937. Its bold signage proclaims, “Tooth’s Sheaf Stout – Keeps You Fit.”

Further along, the Great Western Hotel and a service station at the corner
of Carlton Street, also built in 1938, add to the dynamic urban landscape.
In the background, the smoke and chimney
stack of the Tooth & Co brewery serve as a reminder of the area’s industrial heritage.
The image captures the ongoing transformation of George Street West during the widening resumption, with pedestrians adding a human scale to this evolving streetscape.

Follow

I started drawing when I was 6 years of age, focusing on birds and country homes. Now I’m obsessed with rubber block printing, as it’s so relaxing to etch away. Also enjoy printing fabrics to make vintage handmade toys and currently revelling in oil painting on canvas. I’m based in Wahroonga, right against the Lane Cove National Park, with amazing bush tracks on my doorstep. I studied Graphic Design and Finished Art at TAFE and envied the Fine Arts students.

I mostly paint what I see around me, from kitchen gadgets, bush tracks, historical buildings or Australian homes, but no object is off limits. I believe a painting should look like a painting, not a photo. It needs depth, fresh tones and an eye-catching scene, as well as long shadows and clean colours. My sketchbook is filled with drawings and watercolours, a great pass-time just for me.

Always looking at my surroundings with an eye for another subject matter to immortalise on canvas, no inspirational opportunity is lost, from home to abroad. Once the chosen item has been decided, particular focus on the sun’s reflective properties and shadows are paramount to achieve the correct lighting. A painting always begins with a sketch and I love the drawing process. Once transferred to canvas, it all comes together with colours and tones to make the composition work. To see my art displayed in people’s homes is truly gratifying, as it’s my dream to reach more homes.