Oamaru - a brief history of Hotel Brydone by Mark Sukhija

By: Mark Sukhija

The Kingsgate Hotel Brydone was built in 1880 was originally known as the Queens Hotel which was, in turn, destroyed by fire in September 1881. The current building was built in an Italian style and, as I have discovered, is highly decorated by New Zealand standards - especially the façades of the building. The Kingsgate is, apparently, built from Oamaru stone.

When prohibition was introduced in Oamaru in 1906, the building became a boarding house. It remained a boarding house until Mrs Woodham sold the house to the Oamaru Licensing Trust in 1962 when, after much renovation, it was renamed the Brydone Hotel - in honour of Thomas Brydone who arranged for the first shipment of frozen meat to leave from Dunedin in 1882 from his base in Totara in Northern Otago.

The Pacific Wing of the building was constructed in 1975 after part of the original building was demolished. I think this is a crying shame but I'm sure that the new conference room and increased room capacity made it commercially worthwhile.

Related Posts

Queenstown - sunset over Lake Wakatipu A couple enjoying the sunset over lake Wakatipu at Queenstown
Queenstown - Earnslaw cruising on Lake Wakatipu The Earnslaw cruising on Lake Wakatipu at Queenstown in Central Otago
New Zealand's South Island - recommended hotels and motels Recommended hotels and motels New Zealand's South Island
Fiordland - Flight over Milford Sound Video of the flight over and landing in the Milford Sounds in Fiordland on the South Island of New Zealand
Fiordland - Mouth of Milford Sound Mouth of Milford Sound seen from the cockpit on a scenic flight
Fiordland - view of the mountains View of the Southern Alps on the flight to Milford Sounds
Wellington - Lambton Quay View down Lambton Quay, the main shopping centre in the Wellington CBD
Wellington - reflections in buildings Reflections in a glass building in the CBD of Wellington

Map

Further reading

Related posts

Oamaru - 16 things not to miss - 16 things not to miss in the South Island city of Oamaru in New Zealand

Oamaru and the Otago Peninsula - New Zealand travelogue for November 2007, covering Taranaki on the North Island and a trip around South Island

Trip to see the Little Blue Penguins - New Zealand travelogue for November 2007, covering Taranaki on the North Island and a trip around South Island

New Zealand's South Island - recommended hotels and motels - Recommended hotels and motels New Zealand's South Island

New Zealand - 9 great pubs and bars - 9 of the best pubs and bars in and around New Zealand

Dunedin and onto Queenstown - New Zealand travelogue for November 2007, covering Taranaki on the North Island and a trip around South Island

New Zealand - places not to miss - Recommended places to visit in and around New Zealand

Wine of the Central Otago region - Commentary and notes on wine from the Central Otago region of the south island of New Zealand

Wine tour in Central Otago - New Zealand travelogue for November 2007, covering Taranaki on the North Island and a trip around South Island

Jayson Bryant and I discuss New Zealand wine - Jayson Bryant of Unscrewed.co.nz and Mark Sukhija discuss social media, New Zealand Wine Tourism, social media and Carrick Unscrewed

Key facts

Brydone Hotel

Name: Brydone Hotel
Address:
115 Thames Street, Oamaru
Book now

About Mark Sukhija

Mark Sukhija is a travel and wine blogger, photographer, tourism researcher, hat-touting, white-shirt-wearing, New Zealand fantatic and eclipse chaser. Aside from at least annual visits to New Zealand, Mark has seen eclipses in South Australia (2002), Libya (2006), China (2009) and Queensland (2012). After twelve years in Switzerland, Mark moved back to London in 2012. You can follow Mark on Twitter or Facebook