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HOTEL ANGAS
Date Opened : 1860
Date Closed : 1986
Address :
78 Angas Street, Adelaide
History
| SUSSEX HOTEL | 1860 | 1862 |
| SUSSEX ARMS HOTEL | 1862 | 1864 |
| OLD COLONIST INN | 1864 | 1883 |
| OLD COLONIST HOTEL | 1883 | 1951 |
| HOTEL ANGAS | 1951 | 1986 |
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| The building now quietly serving as a law office on Angas Street once housed a bustling pub with over a century of history. Built in 1860 by Thomas Jellett, the original hotel was known as the Sussex Hotel, constructed on the site of Jellett’s former butcher shop. Licensing for the hotel was initially denied due to the area already being well-served by other pubs, but it was ultimately approved, and the hotel opened by the end of the year. In 1862, John Collins purchased the property and renamed it the Sussex Arms a name that lasted only a year before it became the Old Colonist Hotel. The hotel underwent renovations in 1877, expanding beyond its original modest footprint which had been built around the old butcher shop. Though smaller than many surrounding hotels, the Old Colonist carved out its own niche in the local scene. Following World War I, the hotel became a traditional gathering place for returned servicemen on ANZAC Day, a role it proudly continued to play until its closure. Not all of its history was respectable in 1950, a bookmaker named James Reilly was convicted for running illegal betting operations from the premises. The final name change came in 1951, when it became the Hotel Angas. In its later years, it gained a reputation as a live music venue, hosting many local bands and serving as a hub for Adelaide’s music scene until its closure in 1986. Though no longer serving pints or playing gigs, the building still stands, now repurposed as a law office. While it may never return to licensed trade, it's heartening to see the historic structure preserved and actively used a quiet but tangible link to Adelaide’s layered past.  1966 State Library [B 16149] |