OLD MADE NEW IN BALMAIN
The Unity Hall Hotel
292 Darling St, Balmain NSW 2041
(02) 9810 1331 or http://unityhallhotel.com.au/
One of Balmain’s oldest hotels, The Unity Hall Hotel has re-established itself as a local hangout since undergoing some restoration work.
The new and improved Unity Hall Hotel remains true to its heritage thanks to a fresh lick of paint and careful restoration of the original features both inside and out. The new owners of the hotel, The Riversdale Group (including high profile ad man John Singleton), have added to the historical value of this local icon. “We were determined to remain in keeping with the Unity’s charm and to inject new life into this old pub,” says Patrick Coughlan, Riverside Group CEO.
Graphic Designer Mel Topham, known for her collaboration with other venues such as LoFi and Kinselas in Darlinghurst and The Bellevue Hotel in Paddington, has drawn from the historical surroundings of Balmain in the creation of a custom wallpaper that frames the hotel’s interior spaces. Photographs of Dawn Fraser, historical shots of Balmain and inspiring images of local heroes, The Balmain Tigers, culminate in Topham’s work to represent the diverse history that both Balmain and The Unity are known for.
“Dawn Fraser features predominately in the design of the wall paper,” add Coughlan. “Apart from being an iconic figure in Balmain’s history, she is also Singo’s “best ever girlfriend” to quote the great man”.
As cafes dot the Darling Street façade and with a café culture establishing itself as a feature of the area, The Unity Hotel has extended the original windows on the lower level to allow patrons to bask in the warmer weather whilst enjoying a glass of wine.
To pay respect to the history of the venue, the revitalised Hotel features a band room that has been designed with the long-standing Unity Hall Hotel Jazz Band specifically in mind. The Unity Hall Hotel Jazz Band celebrates their 40thanniversary this month. “In improving the pub as a whole, we thought that featuring the Jazz Band in the actual design of the space will not only rejuvenate the music aspect of the Unity, but will also pay further tribute to the history of the venue,” says Coughlan.