The Old Bailey, nestled in the heart of Wellington’s CBD, is a local icon.
The hotel, a short hop from Parliament, Westpac Trust Stadium, the railway station and the waterfront, has a history stretching back 150 years.
The Old Bailey was built in 1875 on the corner of Lambton Quay and Johnston Street, Wellington.
It was originally known as the Occidental Hotel, a well-known house of its time. It made the news for a tragedy in 1886 when a fire ripped through Lambton Quay on the morning of 29 December destroying eight shops and four cottages in the adjoining side street.
A report in the Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser gives us an insight into Lambton Quay in the 1880s and some of the shops operating at the time.
The article noted that the fire spread to a picture manufacturers shop, an “oyster saloon” and two fruit shops. The fire went on to a tobacconist shop, a music shop, a large furniture warehouse, the Wellington Meat Company’s butcher shop and “Mrs Paul’s millinery shop”. They were all “completely destroyed”, as were the stables of the Meat Company.
Some businesses managed to survive the blaze, including Hayes’ plumbing shop, Arrow Smith’s fruiterer and the Branch Hotel.
The Occidental was hit by fire and was lucky to survive. The newspaper report noted: “Sparks were carried a long distance, and the Occidental Hotel, Dr Henry’s house and the Central Club were on fire at one time but were saved with some difficulty.”
But the damage must have prompted the owners to rebuild the Occidental, which they did.
The hotel later became known as The New Occidental Hotel and still later De Brett’s Hotel.
In 1906, this site and building was sold to Messrs Kirkaldie and Stains. In 1951 Dominion Breweries bought the Occidental Hotel and renamed it Hotel De Brett.
A 1974 photo of the hotel gives us an insight into the times. It shows a sign “Lambton Lounge”, referring to the “higher class” lounge bar that many hotels were required to maintain as part of their liquor license.
Today the Old Bailey is proud of its history and excited about the present.
As a timeless classic pub, we are versatile and adaptable and are known for our family-friendly atmosphere, attracting customers across our community and wider, into the venue.
We offer a wide range of beer including those from local breweries such as Panhead in Wellington and spacialise in timeless classic dishes that our customers love. Some of our most popular dishes include our Stout Beef Cheek Pie, Pressed Cheese Toastie served with Creamy Tomato Soup and Coriander Sauce, and the Market Beer Battered Fish.
Come in soon and say hello.
