Appin Inn Open Day
Residents will have the opportunity to view the restoration progress of the historic Appin Inn, on Sunday 16th September from 11am – 3pm. Locals are invited to view the iconic community building and will have the chance to talk to Walker Corporation staff and members of the Appin Historical Society about the restoration process.
Unoccupied since 2004, Walker Corporation invested 1.2 million into bringing the dilapidated building back to life. The restoration works commenced in 2017, upon the completion of an archaeological investigation to the interior of the Appin Inn building, in 2016, led by Wendy Thorp of Cultural Resources Management (CRM).
Respecting the past, Walker has sympathetically restored the external structure to closely emulate its 1880’s appearance, while the internal fit out has taken on a more contemporary appearance, including office rooms, a kitchenette, toilets, disabled access, air conditioning, and security.
Walker Corporation’s executive planner Gerry Beasley said “a team of planners, archaeologists, architects, heritage experts and builders had worked together to restore the landmark building for the community”.
He also mentioned “Where possible, the windows, doors, and walls including the brick and sandstone façade have been repaired, when restoration was not possible, elements of the inn had to be replaced. “
Additional work is continuing on the site including structural repairs to out- buildings and final archaeological surveying on the rear garden area.
Records for the inn date back to almost 200 years to 1819, when the land was first granted to Thomas Davis. It was built in 1826 by William Sykes and has had 18 owners and an array of different liquor licences dating back to 1833 – when it was commonly known as the Union Revived.