The Hero of Waterloo (in the Rocks)

THE HERO OF WATERLOO

The history of The Hero of Waterloo Hotel, 81 Lower Fort Street, The Rocks Sydney begins in 1843.
George Paton, builder of the Garrison Church in 1840, bought the adjoining land
from Johnathon Clarke {The Shipwrights Arms 1831.}
Paton a stonemason built The Hero from sandstone brought up from the Argyle Cut.
A favourite drinking spot for the Garrison Troops of the Colonial days this lovely old hotel
with its burning open log fires, well stocked bar and warm hospitality is a must
for any tourist visiting the Rocks. Ask to see the cellar museum.
There are many stories surrounding The Hero.
The best known is that of the tunnel which runs from the cellars of the Hotel to the Harbour.
The tunnel was used for rum smuggling and involuntary recruitment of sailors.
A young man might find himself drunk at the bar, dropped through the trap door into the cellar,
dragged through the tunnel to awake next morning at sea shanghaied aboard a clipper,
and so the legend goes...
A maze of stone cellars under The Hero bear silent witness to its nefarious past.
This Historic Australian landmark is classified by the Heritage Council and The National Trust.