The Albion Hotel has been given the green light to move to its new location – but there’s a catch. The iconic pub, renowned for its lively atmosphere, won’t be allowed to play live music.
The local watering hole has finally received approval to reopen at 20 Smith Street in Parramatta, but only after a series of recommendations were agreed upon.
That includes that no live music or entertainment to be played at the new venue, in order to “protect the amenity of the surrounding neighbourhood”.
At a recent Local Planning Panel the Founder of Solotel, Bruce Solomon, whose family bought the Albion Hotel 37 years ago, said he hopes the pub’s new location will have positive impact on Parramatta.
“The property was sold about five years ago and a hotel has been operating in there under lease,” he said.
“My family has obtained the property on Smith Street and wish to transfer the Albion Hotel license up to Smith Street and put in a hotel pub that we think would be a something of a positive nature for Parramatta that would reflect the commercial activities of the area and also would be a positive factor for the food and beverage quality to the area.
“We hope to continue to be a good citizen of the Parramatta city as we have been for the last 37 years.”
The Albion Hotel has sat on the corner of George and Harris Street for over 140 years, but will soon have to make way for the construction of two new towers containing apartments, a wine bar and cinema.
Well-loved among locals, the traditional pub has long since been a destination for residents looking to enjoy live music with friends and family over a pint or two.
Following approval for the new site, Solotel was contacted for comment but declined to comment.
At the new Smith Street premises, the Albion Hotel will take over the ground floor as well as level one and two of the multi-storey commercial building, with the ground floor to accommodate 350 patrons, and 1,200 visitors across levels one and two.
The ground floor will be used as a licensed pub and feature a beer garden, sports bar and gaming room.
The first floor will be transformed into a bar and nightclub, with a dining room and terrace areas, and the second floor will serve as a bar and smoking terrace.
The pub will operate 24/7 Monday to Saturday, and 5am to midnight on Sundays, for a 12 month trial period, after which the hours will be reviewed.
The change of venue for the Albion Hotel comes off the back of news that fellow traditional pub the Royal Oak, which was bulldozed to make way for the Light Rail, didn’t need to be demolished after all, with the Government confirming the now vacant lot is “surplus land”.
Ellie Busby is a news reporter for Western Sydney Publishing Group. A graduate of the University of Hertfordshire and Western Sydney University, she is a journalism Major. Ellie has worked with Universal Media, The Cova Project and for a range of other organisations. In 2024, Ellie was named Young Writer of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.