Commercial Hotel, Penrith

The Commercial Hotel now known as Hotel Penrith or Penrith Hotel on High Street is the oldest active hotel in Penrith LGA. John Perry from the Rose Inn opposite, bought the land in 1851 with an old store on it and made it into a hotel. He added a second storey and named it the Commercial Hotel. Perry leased the hotel to Donald Beatson in 1855 but Beatson left when Perry put up the rent to a pound a day in 1857. In 1864 Beaton bought the Commercial Hotel and land from Perry for 1700 pounds, holding the hotel licence until his death in July 1881. He gave a block to Council for the first Council Chambers building. Beatson sublet the hotel to Francis Peisley and built his own hotel, the Stirling Castle in Henry Street, near Evans Street which had a short life as the building was sold to the Department of Education. The Commercial Hotel had a wagonette that met trains for the patrons, as well as a ballroom which was used for the first Penrith Volunteer Rifles Ball. In 1880 Beatson bought the billiard room next door, adding it to the hotel. The hotel attracted sporting groups, like the pigeon shooting contests. The Commercial Hotel was known as ‘Daily Planet’ by 2000 after extensive modifications. It was run by Mrs Leavy in the 1920s. In 1901 Neale’s Department Store opened next door to the Daily Planet. In 1930 the name was changed to Hotel Penrith.