Argyle House, Newcastle, Heritage-listed commercial building in Newcastle, Australia.
Argyle House is a heritage-listed former office building and nightclub at Argyle Street, Newcastle, made up of a complex of buildings linked in pavilion fashion along three street alignments. The original 1860s building has a high pitched roof with terracotta tiles, a central gabled porch with a circular timber louvred ventilator, and a wide verandah with a bullnose corrugated iron roof, cast iron posts and wrought iron fringe. All buildings are rendered and painted light cream with contrasting label moulds.
The building originally served as headquarters for the Australian Agricultural Company, which operated coal mining in Newcastle between 1829 and 1847. The structure was later adapted for various commercial purposes as the city's economy shifted.
The complex was long known as Fanny's Tavern before reverting to the name Argyle House in February 2013. The Australian Agricultural Company held a monopoly on coal mining in Newcastle from 1829 to 1847 and kept offices here for years afterwards. In December 2021 an Omicron COVID-19 outbreak at the nightclub led to thousands of cases across the Hunter Region.
The building is centrally located in Newcastle and can be reached on foot from the city centre. Visitors should note that access times may be limited and it is worth checking in advance which areas are publicly accessible.
The central gabled porch features a circular timber ventilator framed by a semicircular moulding above the entrance arch. This detail is a rare example of the craftsmanship typical of that period.
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