The layers of history in Potts Point and its surrounding suburbs are rich and deep. And despite the enormous changes that have occurred across the area in recent decades, that history often lies just below the surface. With just a little excavation, a vivid past can emerge, full of characters, stories and the unmistakable colour that has long made this pocket of Sydney so special.

Such is certainly the case at Penny’s Hotel on Bayswater Road, sitting at the crossroads of Potts Point, Darlinghurst and Kings Cross. On a site formerly known as the Hampton Court Hotel, the much-loved pub has a heritage stretching back decades, with the wider building itself having lived several lives and hosted its share of famous faces.

Elizabeth Taylor and husband Mike Todd were reportedly guests during the 1950s, as were members of the Bolshoi Ballet, while the hotel appeared in the classic 1966 Australian film They’re a Weird Mob.

But perhaps its most evocative connection comes courtesy of a little Australian rock band who were then just starting to make some noise. In early 1974, AC/DC played a series of shows at the Hampton Court, with five dates documented across February and March. This was AC/DC in their rawest formative days, before Bon Scott had even joined the band, and one can only imagine the rough-and-ready atmosphere of those nights, with Malcolm Young wielding his much-loved 1963 Gretsch Jet Firebird and younger brother Angus already wedded to the Gibson SG models that would become his trademark.

Turning up the volume in a Bayswater Road pub as the colour and chaos of 1970s Kings Cross carried on outside, they could hardly have known they were laying the foundations for one of the greatest careers in rock ’n’ roll history.

Even more intriguingly, Hampton Court has long been linked to the origins of the AC/DC classic ‘The Jack’, with the City of Sydney’s own Rock ’n’ Roll Walk of Fame ’n’ Shame noting that the band wrote the song while resident at the hotel. Whether every detail of the tale has survived the passing decades intact is perhaps beside the point. It is one of those great pieces of Kings Cross folklore, where music, nightlife and legend become entwined, and the walls themselves seem to hold a story or two.

Today, the old Hampton Court has entered another chapter as Penny’s Hotel, a welcoming contemporary pub, which opened in 2024, that still seems perfectly at home in this famously eclectic neighbourhood. With big screens showing live sport, a menu of pub favourites, cocktails, trivia and live music, it works equally well for a relaxed lunch, an afternoon drink or a gathering with friends that might just stretch later into the evening.

And for those who do want to keep the night rolling, downstairs lies Jude’s, a retro-inspired basement cocktail bar with velvet seating, mirrored walls, disco balls and a distinctly after-dark feel. Open Thursday to Saturday until late, it adds another layer to a building that has seen more than its fair share of Sydney nightlife come and go.

Perhaps that is the real charm of places such as Penny’s. Cities change, neighbourhoods evolve and old names disappear, but sometimes the essential spirit of a place survives. Sitting with a beer on Bayswater Road or heading downstairs as the evening gathers pace, it doesn’t take too much imagination to think of all those who have passed through these doors before, from movie stars and ballet dancers to a young AC/DC cranking out three sets a night.

For a casual lunch, some big-screen sport, drinks with friends or a late-night excursion downstairs, Penny’s is well worth keeping in mind. And in a neighbourhood where the past is never quite as distant as it seems, you may even find yourself listening for a few echoes from those nights long ago.

Penny’s Hotel information:

https://www.pennyshotel.com.au/

Article & Photo courtesy of Adam Gibson