The Como hotel is one of the oldest buildings in the Sutherland Shire and has been in the same location since the 1880s. The building was completed about 1883 before the coming of the railway to Como. It is generally thought that it was originally a social club for the German Consul or the Concordia Club of Sydney. The building itself was built in the style of a European recreational-holiday building once popular at seaside resorts and was built facing Scylla Bay.

It is not known when the building was converted to a hotel but probably coincided with the opening of the Como railway station and the creation of the privately owned Como Pleasure Grounds in 1885-6.

Henry Lawson, who lived in the area for several years, is known to have frequented the hotel. He would agree to recite one of his poems if someone brought him a beer.

COMO HOTEL & SCYLLA BAY - 1890s (Note Hotel's water frontage)

In 1977 the Hotel was listed on the National Trust register. On 3 November 1996 it was burnt to the ground. It was later rebuilt in a style similar to the original building.

The Como Pleasure Grounds and the adjoining boatshed became a popular destination of weekend visitors. By 1900 the grounds had a promenade around the water's edge and a series of terraces leading to a rocky knoll which provided commanding views of both the Georges and Woronora Rivers. There was a large pavilion for dances and dinners as well as a merry-go-round; swings and see-saws to entertain visitors. Visitors could hire a boat and row up Scylla Bay to the hotel. A shop was erected at the entrance of the pleasure grounds to provide refreshments, and which today houses the Thai Rim restaurant. The popularity of the pleasure grounds can be gauged by the fact that prior to World War 1, more tickets were  collected on a weekend at Como railway station then any other station in Sydney.

 

A DAY OUT AT COMO PLEASURE GROUNDS

Three factors contributed to the decline in the popularity of the grounds and the nearby hotel, namely the War: the coming of the motor car and the opening of the Tom Uglys bridge.  (People preferred to visit the beaches like Cronulla or the Royal National Park). The relocation of the railway station to its present site, further eroded the popularity of the hotel and pleasure grounds. Sutherland Shire Council purchased the pleasure grounds in 1940.

Scylla Bay was partially reclaimed during the depression of the 1930s to form a makeshift cricket oval. The hotel provided an ideal location for spectators to relax and watch the cricket. Matches were played under local rules; one of which was that you could not be given out if caught off the large tree which grew on the playing area. During one match, the local butcher managed to hit the ball onto the roof of the hotel.

In more recent years, the reclaimed land that was once Scylla Bay and pleasure grounds have been upgraded and modernised to include the sporting facilities available today.

COMO HOTEL & (Reclaimed) SCYLLA BAY - Today