The Hopetoun Hotel, colloquially referred to as The Hoey,[1] is a historic Sydney hotel and live music venue in Surry Hills. It was built somewhere between 1836 and 1839, originally under the name of the Cookatoo Inn and then in 1901 revamped and named in honour of the first Governor General, Lord Hopetoun.[2] In 1997 it was purchased by siblings Evangelos and Anastasia Patakas for $1.5 million and became a live music venue that saw performances by bands including the Hoodoo Gurus and Wolfmother.[3] In 2009, it was closed due to accumulated fines and police citations for noise violations in a residential area.[4] It has remained shut since, though it was used in 2012 as a set for The Wolverine (film).[5]
It was a much loved venue by the community and Sarah Blasko spoke of its unique nature, "It's so intimate, you almost feel like you could order a drink from the stage".[6]
History
The hotel is a heritage listed building[7] and has occupied the site for over 150 years forming a landmark feature in Surry Hills. It is an important architectural example of an early Federation warehouse style face brick building.[2][8]