Goodbye Newington Inn – hello Public House, Petersham

By Vanessa Cavasinni, editor Australian Hotelier

Solotel purchased the Newington Inn in Sydney’s Inner West in 2014, and renovations will begin this week as the look and name of the venue is changed to Public House, Petersham.

After purchasing the Newington Inn last year, the team at Solotel decided that there was a real opportunity for the suburb of Petersham in Sydney to have a new hospitality offering that will be a ‘hang out’ space reflective of the arts and cultural scene in the suburb.

The name change is to reflect the idea that the venue can be used by the local community and social clubs as a gathering place. The name change is also a nod to the venue’s history, as it is the oldest public house in the area.

The Newington Inn currently has a traditional pub layout and décor. The complete renovation will transform the space with an industrial aesthetic. The structural and heritage aspects of the building will remain untouched, however the interiors will be completely overhauled with new flooring and wall panelling, booth seating and the addition of a new games room.

The outdoor courtyard will be refurbished with a twist on a beer garden – it will include shipping container spaces and a wood-fired pizza oven. Street art installations will also be used throughout the venue, in line with the art scene in the suburb.

The aim of the refurbishments is to create a space for locals to relax and socialise with their friends in a modern and comfortable setting. There will be a focus on craft beer, wine on tap and locally-produced food that is perfect for sharing. Quite simply, the ethos of Public House, Petersham will be to gather the local community for social events and to share ideas.

Unlike most other hotel renovations – where outside firms are hired to handle renovations – these refurbishments will be overseen by Solotel design manager Georgie Hutchinson. Together with Solotel director Elliot Solomon, Hutchinson developed the design concept for Public House, drawing inspiration from industrial venues in the United States. Hutchinson will bring the design concept to life, and will continue with Public House’s development post-launch.

As young families move to Petersham for its emphasis on local community and the short distance to Sydney’s CBD, the population of the suburb continues to grow. The aim of the refurbishments is to take advantage of this growing demographic and make Public House, Petersham one of the most loved social venues for Sydney’s Inner West.

TheShout will be following the transformation of the Newington Inn (pictured) to Public House, Petersham over the next two months. These pictures show how it looks now, just before the renovations begin.

The Newington Inn will be completely transformed

The new interior will feature booth seating and new flooring

The new beer garden will have art installations and a pizza oven