Berowra Waters Inn
Encyclopedia
Berowra Waters Inn is a restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...

 located at Berowra Waters along the Hawkesbury River
Hawkesbury River
The Hawkesbury River, also known as Deerubbun, is one of the major rivers of the coastal region of New South Wales, Australia. The Hawkesbury River and its tributaries virtually encircle the metropolitan region of Sydney.-Geography:-Course:...

 in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park
Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park
Ku-ring-gai Chase is a national park in New South Wales, Australia, 25 km north of Sydney located largely within the Ku-ring-gai, Hornsby, Warringah and Pittwater municipal areas. Ku-ring-gai Chase is also officially classed as a suburb by the Geographical Names Board of New South Wales...

, 50 minutes from downtown Sydney, Australia. It is unique due to its being accessed only by private ferry and being one of architect Glenn Murcutt's
Glenn Murcutt
Glenn Marcus Murcutt AO is a British-born Australian architect and winner of the 2002 Pritzker Prize and 2009 AIA Gold Medal.-Biography:...

 only venues regularly open to the public. For many years it represented the cutting edge of Australian design and cuisine. The menu changed frequently but was a 'mix of classic French and Modern Australian'.

Originally, Berowra Waters Inn was a guest house dating to the 1930s CE. In 1975, the Inn was purchased by Tony and Gay Bilson. The Edwardian style teahouse had major engineering flaws however and a decision was made to close and redesign the venue. Between 1976 and 1983, the architect Glenn Murcutt
Glenn Murcutt
Glenn Marcus Murcutt AO is a British-born Australian architect and winner of the 2002 Pritzker Prize and 2009 AIA Gold Medal.-Biography:...

 redesigned the property using a 'distinctive Australian vernacular style: corrugated tin roof over glass louvre windows, on a Sydney sandstone base, set among eucalypts and angophoras". During excavating work for the rebuild, Indigenous Australian (Aboriginal) midden
Midden
A midden, is an old dump for domestic waste which may consist of animal bone, human excrement, botanical material, vermin, shells, sherds, lithics , and other artifacts and ecofacts associated with past human occupation...

 remains on the property boundary were discovered. These were radiocarbon dated and found to date back nearly 10,000 years, indicating a long term human association with the location.

Tony Bilson left day to day operation of the restaurant in 1983 to Gay, who with chef Janni Kyritsis continued its operation until Gay retired in 1995.

Further reading

  • Berowra Waters 1940-1960 Withers
  • Bilson, Gay Plenty Digressions on Food
  • Joffe, Mick Berowra Waters Yarns and Photos
  • Murcutt, Glenn Buildings and Projects 1962-2003 Francoise Fromonot
  • Murcutt, Glenn Singular Architectural Practice Haig Beck and Jackie Cooper
  • Murcutt, Glenn Leaves of Iron Philip Drew
  • Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011.

External links

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