Our History
Pull up a stool, Let us take you back.
This corner at Blues Point Road and Union Street, McMahons Point, where our doors are now, has seen more years, more changes, more characters, than many walls could remember.
More than 200 years ago, Sydney’s North Shore was home to one of the colony’s most colourful characters, William “Billy” Blue. Convict, ferryman, raconteur, and all-round larrikin, he rowed people across the harbour in his little boat, always with a story (or a joke) at the ready.
Governor Macquarie liked him so much that he granted him 80 acres on this very headland. Everyone who met him fell under his charms, so much that they affectionately nicknamed him “The Old Commodore.”
That’s where we get our name.
Billy’s son, John Blue, carried on the family flair, building a two-storey sandstone inn here in 1854. He called it The Commodore in honour of his much-loved father. A nod to the man who turned Blues Point into, well, Blues Point.
Since then, the pub has seen it all: Victorian balconies and fretwork,1930s makeovers, 1970s rebuilds, countless schooners pulled, steaks grilled, and stories swapped. We’ve welcomed literary greats like Henry Lawson, Prime Ministers and battlers from all walks of life. The bones may have changed, but the spirit has never shifted. This corner of North Sydney has been a meeting place for locals, travellers, workers, and wanderers for more than a century and a half.
The Commodore has always been more than just a pub. It’s about character, the kind Billy Blue had in spades. Cheeky, welcoming, larger-than-life. From ferrying people across the harbour to hosting locals after work, the Commodore has kept that same sense of playfulness and hospitality alive, true to Billy’s spirit.
These days, we’re proud to carry the name and the stories forward. But now you’ll also get to enjoy exceptional pub fare, championing honest, seasonal and local ingredients. You’ll still find a hearty feed, a drink worth staying for, and plenty of tall tales told across the bar. Some things never change. And around here, that’s exactly how we like it.
WHO IS BILLY BLUE?
In true Billy fashion, there are conflicting accounts about his origins and age, but it is believed that William “Billy” Blue was born in Jamaica, New York, in the late 1700s of African-American origin. Billy claimed he’d fought in the American War of Independence before turning up in London, running a lolly business and getting caught for pinching sugar. That little stunt landed him all the way in Sydney in 1801, a convict with barely two years left to serve.
But it didn’t take long for Billy to make his mark. He married Elizabeth Williams on April 27 in 1805 and together they had six children. Billy first settled in The Rocks and set up shop on the harbour as a waterman. Part taxi driver, part stand-up comic, he ferried anyone and everyone across the water, Governor Macquarie included. The Governor liked him so much that he made Billy Harbour Watchman, gave him a house on Circular Quay, and later granted him 80 acres on the North Shore, where we stand today. That patch of land is still called Blue’s Point to this very day.
Billy wore a navy coat, stood tall, and always had a story on hand. People started calling him “The Old Commodore” and the name stuck. He ran ferries, farmed, cracked jokes, and occasionally got himself in trouble for rum-running and harbouring convicts. But that was Billy, a larger-than-life character with charm to burn.
He died in 1834, but his legend never really left. And now, in the spirit of Sydney’s favourite rogue, The Old Commodore raises a glass to him every day.
Tiemline of your local
For thousands of years
The Cammeraygal people of the Eora Nation lived, fished, gathered and told stories on this headland, their connection to Country enduring long before pubs, ferries, or city streets.
1854
Billy Blue’s son, John, built a two-storey sandstone inn right here at Blues Point, on this corner, naming it The Old Commodore in tribute to his larger-than-life father. It quickly became a stopover for locals, harbour workers and travellers alike, a place for a bed, a drink, and a good story.
Circa 1900
The sandstone inn came down, making way for a grand Victorian-style hotel with a balcony and squat tower. Though the building was new, the name stuck: “The Old Commodore.”
1930s
Styles shifted, and so did the pub. The ornate balconies and flourishes were stripped back, replaced with simpler lines in tune with the new century. Less fuss, more function.
1970s
Another rebuild gave us a version of The Commodore that locals would recognise today. The tavern licence arrived, along with bigger, more open bars built for crowds and good times.
Today
October 2025 marks the latest chapter. With its world-class renovation and an exceptional new kitchen, The Old Commodore is back in the hands of the community thanks to Glenn Piper and a crew of locals. We’ve also returned the “Old” to our name, just as Billy’s son John first did when he named the pub in his father’s honour back in 1854. Somewhere along the way, the “Old” disappeared from the sign (no one’s quite sure when), but we think it’s only right to bring it back. The views of the Harbour Bridge are as good as ever, and so too is the spirit of Billy Blue, living on in every pint, plate, and story shared here.
