Newtown Hotel - The Official Word

Local News, By Christian Taylor, 5th November, 2007

The closure of the Newtown Hotel has the Sydney gay community abuzz. What is behind the closure? How long will it be closed for?

“We’ve spent the last few months trying to negotiate the re-leasing of the premises, but those negotiations came to a sudden end last week and unfortunately we were shut out of the building on Saturday,” says David McHugh, the current operator of The Newtown. “The owners didn’t agree with the terms put forward. We had no understanding of situation until Saturday.”

The matter now has to go through the courts. David says the case could take up to two years to be resolved. “The bottom line is that the Newtown Hotel will not trade, which is tragic. It’s a shock to us all, the staff there have done a tremendous job. For things to come to such an abrupt ending, well, it was a rude shock for all involved.”

McHugh says that they own the license, so they do have the option of moving to another location on King Street. “It’s an option but it takes time. Trading in the current premises can’t happen until decision is handed down by the courts. We’re at a stalemate.”

According to McHugh, the current agreement between the owner and landlord means that the building cannot operate as a licensed premises for the next five years. “They may have some grand plans that we’re not aware of. Rest assured, we’ll be fighting for what’s ours. Once we’re aware of what their agenda is, we’ll be fighting it.

“The most tragic thing is that it’s such a loss – about thirty people have lost employment, it was a tight knit family that worked there, it was a close community. Plenty of bars come and go, but Newtown Hotel was pretty special.”

So much for Newtown becoming the alternative to Oxford Street.

Your Thoughts

danny corvini

said ages ago

Don't give up boys and girls. Get together and write letters of protest to the council and don't stop until you think you're being heard and properly considered. Urge promoters and nightclub owners such as the Bank to do a night in Newtown. Urge community leaders to represent the community NOW. Arrive en masse to other pubs in the area - how fun would that be? And if all else fails, go to the Marlborough Hotel on the corner of King & Missenden. My cousin is the manager and there's nothing like leaning on family in times of need..

kwickeemart

said ages ago

our community is being screwed over again..... newton is becoming a gay ghost town and oxford st is becoming the second george st

hawaii60

said ages ago

stopped going to the Newtown some time ago because of constantly being heavied by gangs of roving butch lesbians, but very sad to see the iconic Vanessa Wagner left without a Thursday night venue...the gay boys don't seem to patronize the stylish Bank and the butch lesbians (skulling bottles of champagne and screaming in our ears, I kid you not!) have taken that bar over as well...looks like the Green Park is going to be full to the rafters this summer....

hawaii60

said ages ago

stopped going to the Newtown some time ago because of constantly being heavied by gangs of roving butch lesbians, but very sad to see the iconic Vanessa Wagner left without a Thursday night venue...the gay boys don't seem to patronize the stylish Bank and the butch lesbians (skulling bottles of champagne and screaming in our ears, I kid you not!) have taken that bar over as well...looks like the Green Park is going to be full to the rafters this summer....

danny corvini

said ages ago

The Bank was always more a lesbian bar... and I think going to a stylish gay bar is exactly the opposite of what Newtown gays want.

TheZeppo

said ages ago

Coopers arms is further down the road, the marly is almost opposite up on the corner of missenden, although wherever you go is full of bogans sadly :( Which is part of the reason to take it over and drive em out woooo :D Although we could all just get along nicely? Of course the Union is riiiight down the other end and has a road leading right up to the imperial upon it's return next year

sab0tage

said ages ago

What kind of a butch lesbian drinks champagne and screams? For shame! Its a terrible thing that the Newtown has shut down, as i thought it would always be there. Unfortunately there seems to be a lack of suitable venues in newtown to move to: theyre either sterile and expensive or very straight or total dumps. Fingers crossed the court case comes out in our favour although it doesnt help us in the short term.

LynDoh

said ages ago

I want a pub where I don't have to dress up, somewhere casual and with character. But it has to have a stage because I want DRAG!!! With the Impy shut and now the Newtown gone where do I go to get a fix of drag - Dykes love drag as well . Another income cut for the poor showgirls. How about venturing slightly up Enmore Rd and take over the Sly Fox? It's much more fun than the Bank and they already do drag king acts. The only issue is it's a bit small. Pity we couldn't buy the Queens Head on Enmore Rd. It's a dive and we could give it the makeover it deserves.

Lush

said ages ago

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!, I wept with dispair when I found out. Seriously!! Ok I live in the "burbs but the Newtown has been my bastion of Me'ness for decades. The one place when I could go for a beer and not have to worry about bimbettes and straight boys chasing them. Or the doof dood noise of an over crowded dance floor. No-one cared that I look a bit...different. It was a place where one could sit at the bar. (that alone is a rarity) and just meet friends, make friends, or watch a good old fashioned drag queen trying not to fall of the tiny stage in 15cm Fredrick of Hollywood shoes. One could dress up or down. One could spend a hard day shopping and feel comfortable popping in to knock of a few coldies (and a beer) with a shit load of shopping and a backpack. Or one could slap on a full face throw on a nice hat and still hang out with shirtless guys and hard core dykes and not feel unloved. ( And I have them all in the back room at some point :-) Oh And I like Champagne AND beer if anyone is buying). Truly this is the end of the world. Oxford street stopped being "safe" and "friendly" for anyone over 25 years ago. I never got hassled in Newtown. I love Newtown. I just cant afford to live there right now. I would fully support any venue the guys choose to re-open and I'm really shirty with the owners for closing the doors like that. That is just Rude. and Stoopid. Newtown Festival would have been a good money spinner for the place. I Hope that everyone of the staff are going to be ok because they are the best staff in Sydney. I hope that some new great place can be found soon so we may all meet again, Dont know where, dont know when, but I know we'll meet again some sunny daaaaaaaaaaaaaay Love Lush.

Brett Hayhoe

said ages ago

A terrible loss indeed :( Where do I go now for a drink on Thursday night [this coming one] when I am in Sydney for the NAPWA AGM? We always stay at the Rydges on Missendon Road, so obviously Newtown is the place in which we drink/socialise....and Oxford Street is hardly a short walk from there :(

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