White Cockatoo Hotel has been part of Petersham since 1886, making it one of the suburb’s longest-running pubs.
Sitting opposite Petersham Station, the hotel has welcomed generations of locals, commuters and visitors through its doors.
A lot has changed over the past 140 years, including the name, but the heart of the venue has stayed the same: a friendly neighbourhood pub with a warm Petersham welcome.
Our Story So Far
The pub first opened in 1886 as the Lord Carrington Hotel, named after the then Governor of New South Wales, Charles Robert Wynn-Carington.
It’s location opposite Petersham Station made it a natural meeting place for the growing suburb, serving locals, railway workers, travellers and community groups.
The hotel also has a connection to Australian writer Henry Lawson, who is believed to have stayed there for a time. What is known is that Lawson wrote the first stanza of Faces in the Street while waiting for a train at Petersham Station in 1888, just across the road.
For a period, the pub was known as Friedman’s Carrington Hotel, before becoming the Carrington Hotel in 1922.
In the mid-1970s, it took on the name White Cockatoo Hotel.
The venue was later rebranded as The West Village following a major renovation in 2015, before the White Cockatoo Hotel name was restored in 2017.
Today, the building still retains touches of its Victorian character and continues to be an important part of Petersham’s pub history.
White Cockatoo Hotel Today
Today, White Cockatoo Hotel is a relaxed neighbourhood pub spread across three levels, with a public bar, dining spaces, leafy courtyards and guest accommodation upstairs.
Settle in for a classic pub meal, grab a drink from the bar, challenge your mates to a game of pool or pinball, or catch the sport on the screens.
There’s always something happening throughout the week, from trivia and member draws to raffles and regular events.
Our courtyards are also dog-friendly, so four-legged mates are welcome too.
Our Community
White Cockatoo Hotel has always been closely connected to Petersham.
From railway workers and local businesses in the early days to today’s residents, families, sports fans and visitors, the pub has continued to evolve alongside the neighbourhood.
We’re proud to have been part of Petersham for nearly 140 years and to continue being a place where people can meet, eat, drink and spend time together.
