Established 1843

The History of the Hero of Waterloo Hotel, 81 Lower Fort Street, The Rocks, Sydney, begins in 1843. George Paton, builder of the Garrison Church in 1840, bought the adjoining land from Johnathon Clarke (The Shipwrights Arms, 1831). Paton, a stonemason, built The Hero from sandstone brought up from the Argyle Cut. A favourite drinking spot for the Garrison Troops of the Colonial days, this lovely hotel with its burning open log fires, well stocked bar and warm hospitality is a must for any tourist visiting The Rocks.

There are many stories surrounding The Hero. The best known is that of the tunnel which runs from the cellars of the hotel to the Harbour. The tunnel was used for rum smuggling and involuntary recruitment of sailors. A young man might find himself drunk at the bar, dropped through a trap door into the cellar, dragged through the tunnel, to awake next morning at sea shanghaied aboard a clipper, and so legend goes.

A maze of stone cellars under The Hero bear silent witness to its nefarious past. This Historic Australian landmark is classified by the Heritage Councill and The National Trust.