What was to become known as The Port Kembla Hotel was first proposed in 1911 and was in competition with the Great Eastern Hotel (later The Steelworkers) for the first license in town even before the hotel was built.

In the application to the Licensing Bench, “Ernest Lindsay Thompson, architect of Sydney, stated that the plans of the proposed hotel were compiled by him. The structure would be a first-class brick residential and family hotel. The hotel will comprise wide balconies and verandahs, well-ventilated and well-lighted rooms, the main building being two storey. On the ground floor there would be 16 rooms, whilst the upstairs provides for 18 bed-rooms, one sitting-room, three bath-rooms, store-room and lounge-room. The ceilings will be of steel lining. The cost of the building would be between £4500 and £5000. Provision is made for another storey, which would cost around £1200.”

– The Illawarra Mercury, 5 May 1911

Photo of The Port Kembla Hotel (after 1915) in the centre far right of the picture from the collections of the Wollongong City Libraries and the Illawarra Historical Society. (P18268)