During his time, Charles Jeanneret was best known for his passion for business, particularly his steamboat and ferry companies; but history will best remember him for building the Newport Hotel, and for completing Victoria Wharf (now called the Newport Wharf), in time for two royal visitors.
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The Newport Arms Hotel was constructed in 1880 in what was then called the New Marine Township of Newport. It was established by Mr Jeanneret, with the help of developer George Pile.
To build the hotel, Mr Jeanneret and Mr Pile purchased land from then-released Basset-Darley Estate, which was sold in two parts. At the time, one could reach the hotel by boat or by coach from Manly.
Records indicate that the pair paid 32 pounds for 118 acres on which to establish the New Marine Township of Newport. The remaining land, apart from a one acre lot purchased by the Church of England, was bought by John William Cliff for 8,000 pounds in 1886.
So popular was the New Marine Township of Newport that royalty came to visit during its early days.
In 1881, Prince Albert and Prince George, grandfather of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, came to Newport for a visit. They toured along the Hawkesbury River, boarding a steamer called the ‘Pelican’ at Newport Wharf.
Mr Jeanneret, who owned Pelican, received the princes. He had the Newport wharf built and completed in time for the royals’ visit. It was then referred to as ‘Victoria wharf’ in honour of Queen Victoria.
In 1887, however, Mr Jeanneret’s business activities in the Pittwater area came to an end when he and Pile sold the hotel to William Boulton, who acquired the first licence for the hotel.
The hotel’s popularity continued throughout the early 1890s, when day trippers would visit especially on the weekends, and drink bootleg alcohol produced by McCarrs Creek moonshiners.
The hotel was rebuilt in brick in 1919 and went through major alterations in the 1950s. A serious fire damaged the building back in 1967. It took four years to rebuild the hotel.
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Today, the hotel goes by the name The Newport, after hospitality group Merivale acquired it in 2015.
