
5 minute read
COMMUNITY I
IN WHATEVER form they take and in all their marvelous diversity, families need nurturing, respect, and support.
Will shares his story of becoming a parent and changing his career to find a better workplace support network that allows him to balance the needs of work and family.
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“Losing my dad to Leukaemia in 2018 was really tough and it made me question my career, the life balance I wasn’t getting and what was really important to me. My Dad left an amazing legacy and I was left questioning mine, I felt that my life needed a greater purpose and I had so much to give as a Dad.
Karl and I have been together for ten years and we always wanted to have children together but being a same sex couple, we thought it would never happen.
During a holiday in Tasmania at the start of 2019 Karl and I started to discuss the option of becoming foster carers and this was the beginning of our unexpected journey to being the family we are today.
We chose to foster with Key Assets Australia, who supported same sex couples to become foster carers. For the next twelve months we went through the complicated and at times difficult process of completing all the necessary documentation, interviews and training on how to parent children who can have multiple physical and/or mental health issues or who have suffered abuse or other traumatic circumstances.
There is little notice given of when a child will be placed with you and a month after starting my new role, we had a call asking us if we would take in two children, Chloe 11 years old and Andrew 7 years old on a long-term basis.
We said yes to the opportunity of a long-term placement and we began planning and preparing to ensure the children’s transition to us was smooth and that they had a connection with us.
The week before the children arrived, we received another call from our social worker explaining that the children’s biological mum had another six-month-old baby boy called Jordan and asked if we would take him to keep all the siblings together. Of course, we agreed and overnight we went from just the two of us to being a family of five - our dream had come true.
Chaos ensued as we moved to a bigger house, bought a pram and car seat, set up the nursery and stocked up on all the things a family of five needs - it was so exciting but overwhelming at the same time.
It’s been over three years now and we have three beautiful children who have changed our life for the better. We were granted guardianship of the children in February 2023 to give our children a forever home and we’re so lucky to have worked with a supportive agency like Key Assets Australia who support my family and the LGBTIQ+ community.
Being a parent is the hardest thing I’ve ever done but it’s also the most rewarding. Key Assets has made this journey so much easier for me and my family and continues to support my journey of being a father.”

THE site of the heritage-listed hotel The Abercrombie has played home to a pub space since 1843. The art-deco building that we see today on the corner of Broadway & Abercrombie street was built in 1938, replacing a pub built in 1911, & has stood largely unchanged ever since. However, in 2014 The Abercrombie was forced to shut its doors & stayed unused for 8 long years.
In those proceeding years, the Solotel group purchased the venue & injected significant investment into the venue to bring The Abercrombie into a new era.
Late in 2022, The Abercrombie opened its doors again but 2023 is set to be a true statement year for the venue as it returns refreshed, bigger, better & ready to rejuvenate Sydney’s nightlife.

Honouring The Heritage
Given that The Abercrombie is a heritage-listed venue reviving the venue was no small task. Solotel couldn’t simply come in & completely overhaul the space. Instead, they worked with a range of stakeholders including The National Trust, architects & the best nightlife promotors in Sydney to ensure the new era of The Abercrombie met everybody’s needs.
In a statement ahead of the opening Solotel CEO, Elliot Solomon said, “There’s a strong sense of responsibility reopening the Abercrombie given that formative memories of generations of Sydney partiers, including myself, were forged here.”
Continuing on from this Neighbourhood Media recently spoke with General Manager Zoe Simmons about the vision behind the renovations.
“We wanted to have a level of nostalgia as a nod to the old Abercrombie as a major part of the revamp, but we also wanted it to be purpose-built for what it’s going to be now,” explained Zoe. “The old Abercrombie became known as a party pub. Despite not being built for that purpose it became a great place to have parties & Sunday sessions.”
The biggest heritage elements that have been retained are the facades, the staircases, the original doorways & the beautiful art-deco balcony.
“It’s quite funny if you walk around The Abercrombie now, there are a lot of doors that don’t go anywhere because we have to keep them under heritage, so a lot of these doors have been repurposed as windows,” said Zoe with a proud smile.
Zoe then shifted over to speak about the balcony in a similar proud fashion, “We’re one of the few places that get to utilize our balcony as part of our licence. There are a lot of those front balconies in other hotels, but often they’re no longer allowed to be used, so it’s really cool that we’re able to utilize those spaces at the front.”
The New Abercrombie
Under the new vision for The Abercrombie Solotel have essentially created 3 venues within 1.
The ground floor plays home to the main club space, a public bar & a beer garden. Here Sydneysiders will be treated to regular performances & events from some of Sydney’s finest party promotors. For Solotel & Zoe, it was imperative that they worked closely with the likes of House of Mince, Sweat it Out, Future Classic, Purple Sneakers, and Motorik to create a purpose-built party space that could take full advantage of the venue’s 24-hour licence.
Move up one level & you enter Casa Rosa, a playful, latenight Italo-disco cocktail lounge and rooftop Terrazza. Or you can head across to the adjoining terraces to check out the aperitivo wine bar and shop, Lil Sis.
When describing the unique rooftop courtyard Zoe said, “ I remember sitting in the old Abercrombie courtyard the year that it closed and it was relatively desolate around you but now we have a skyscraper above us that skims us, so it’s a little bit like having UFO land on you.”
When asked why they chose to split The Abercrombie into 3 distinct venue offerings Zoe explained that the entire hospitality scene has undergone significant change.
“The hospitality scene has changed in terms of how big hotels run. In the past pub trade was the main thing. But now these 500+ capacity venues tend to have other features within them, sort of businesses within businesses.”
Shifting to this model isn’t just a venue decision though according to Zoe, “I think the consumer these days wants a lot from their nightlife experience. In the past, we had the pub crawl culture but now you can have those different experiences throughout the evening at a single venue.”
As WorldPride Sydney fast approaches The Abercrombie is set to become a major hub for incredible queer entertainment from both Sydney & around the world. Beyond that 2023 is set to be a huge year for The Abercrombie with Zoe saying, “we’ve eased into 2023 but we’re kicking into high gear for WorldPride & won’t be hitting the brakes anytime soon.”
So whether you want to party the night away in the ground floor nightclub space, get a traditional pub meal in the beer garden, sip on an Aperol spritz on the rooftop terrace or indulge in some fine wine, cheese & a charcuterie board The Abercrombie has a space for you.
Abercrombie - Now Open 100 Broadway, Chippendale res.abercrombie@solotel.com.au
