Dictionary of Sydney

The Dictionary of Sydney was archived in 2021.

Empress Hotel

Hotel frequented by local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders from the 1940s to the 1970s which saw many instances of police harassment. Now closed and used as apartment and business premises.

-33.89126476613, 151.20098738364

Name
Colloquial
Big E
Alternate
Regent Hotel
1989 -
Type

The Empress Hotel, Redfern

CC BY-SA 2.0
,
2015

The Empress Hotel in Redfern was an important meeting place for the Aboriginal community and a central place to socialise. It was also the site of heavy-handed police action and the focus of racial persecution.