Last time we looked at the wider world of hotel china — the sturdy plates and cups made for restaurants, railway dining cars and grand city hotels.
But sometimes the most interesting pieces of hotel ware don’t come from famous ballrooms or ocean liners.
Across Australia, country hotels relied on the same durable china used in the big cities. These plates carried breakfasts for travellers, lunches for locals, and countless evening meals served in dining rooms that were once the social heart of their towns.
Every now and then, a piece turns up that still carries the name of one of those hotels.
When that happens, the plate becomes more than just crockery. It becomes a small piece of local history.
Recently a group of plates surfaced bearing the name The Rex Hotel — a reminder of a time when hotels were not just places to stay, but gathering places for communities.
When I first found these plates stamped Rex Hotels, I assumed they came from a single pub.
But Rex wasn’t just one hotel. It was a post-war hotel chain — ambitious, modern, and distinctly Australian.
And these plates are part of that story.
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The Beginning of the Rex Chain
The first Rex began not in Sydney — but in Canberra.
In 1950, the Ainslie Hotel in Canberra was rebranded as the first Rex Hotel. It marked the beginning of a new hotel concept: larger, modernised suburban hotels designed to attract both locals and travellers.
Ainslie Hotel, Canberra, c1930. It became the first Rex Hotel in 1950. Picture: Australian National University.
The Rex chain grew rapidly during the 1950s — a period of post-war expansion, population growth, and rising middle-class leisure culture.
The company behind the expansion, Rex Investments (linked to L.J. Hooker interests), acquired and rebranded existing hotels across New South Wales.
They weren’t motels. They were modern pubs-with-accommodation — combining:
• Bars
• Dining rooms
• Bottle shops
• Lounge entertainment
• Guest rooms
Mid-century Australia was changing — and Rex positioned itself at the centre of that shift.
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The Kings Cross Rex – Sydney’s Social Hub
By the early 1950s, Rex expanded into Sydney.
The Rex Hotel, Kings Cross, opened in 1951 at 58 Macleay Street.
Rex Hotel, Kings Cross, 1960s. Picture: Noel Butlin Archives, Australian National University.
Kings Cross in the 1950s and 60s was vibrant — artists, performers, nightlife, journalists, visiting entertainers.
The Rex became known for:
• Its cocktail lounge
• “Supper & Dancing” evenings
• Dining rooms serving continental-inspired meals
• A lively street-front bottle shop
The Rex Hotel, Kings Cross, 1964. Picture: Supplied.
Think steak and chips.
Silver service chicken.
Late-night drinks.
Cigarette smoke drifting out onto the pavement.
It was urban, modern, slightly glamorous.
Today, the Kings Cross building has been converted into apartments.
But for a time, it was one of Sydney’s most recognisable hotel brands.
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Expansion Across NSW
Rex didn’t stop at Kings Cross.
It expanded into suburban and regional locations, often acquiring existing hotels and rebranding them under the Rex name.
Kogarah – Railway Parade
Railway Parade Hotel, Kogarah, c1930. It later became a Rex hotel.
This was part of the strategy — acquiring established local hotels and modernising them under a unified Rex identity.
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Pagewood Rex
Artist impression of the Pagewood Rex, 1953. Sydney Morning Herald, 18 August 1953.
Pagewood Hotel, Pagewood, 1960s. Picture: Noel Butlin Archives, Australian National University.
The Pagewood Rex reflected the mid-century design language:
Low horizontal lines.
Brick construction.
Garden lounges.
Family dining spaces.
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Thirroul Rex
Thirroul Rex Hotel.
Even regional coastal towns were brought into the Rex fold — creating a recognisable hospitality brand across NSW.
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The Plates Themselves
Now, back to the pieces in my hands.
The dinner plates are stamped on the back
Johnson Bros – Made in England (not the Australian Johnson Bros, as I may have mentioned in the video).
Hotel Ware
Imported by Brice & Harrison Pty Ltd, Sydney.
Johnson Bros specialised in durable commercial china — built specifically for heavy hospitality use.
The bowls are stamped:
Bristile – Made in Australia – 6/66
The 6/66 mark likely indicates June 1966 production.
Which means these pieces were in circulation during the height of Rex’s expansion era.
They would have served:
• Working men’s lunches
• Business dinners
• Post-theatre meals
• Travellers staying upstairs
Not one household.
Hundreds. Possibly thousands.
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Why This Matters
Hotel ware rarely looks romantic.
It’s simple.
Heavy.
Built to survive decades of use.
But that’s exactly why it matters.
These plates are part of Australia’s hospitality history — a mid-century chain that helped shape suburban pub culture as we know it.
They’re not decorative china.
They’re working history.
And somehow, they survived.
And on a personal note, when I asked my mum, in her eighties, if she’d ever stayed or eaten at a Rex Hotel, she said “No, but my Dad probably did. He travelled to Sydney (from Melbourne) a few times a year for work and they usually stayed at a hotel in Kings Cross. That one does sound familiar.”
So, my grandfather may have eaten off these plates!
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If you collect Australian hotel history — or simply appreciate honest mid-century whiteware — these are available.
Send me a message if you’re interested.
Deb 🤎🍃
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FAQ – Rex Hotel Plates & the Rex Hotel Chain
What was the Rex Hotel chain?
The Rex Hotels were a post-war Australian hotel chain that expanded across New South Wales in the 1950s and 1960s. The first Rex began in Canberra in 1950 when the Ainslie Hotel was rebranded. The company then acquired and modernised suburban and regional hotels under the “Rex” name.
These were not roadside motels — they were full-service pub hotels offering accommodation, dining rooms, cocktail lounges and bottle shops.
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Where was the Rex Hotel in Kings Cross?
The Rex Hotel in Kings Cross operated from 58 Macleay Street, Sydney, opening in 1951. It became known for its cocktail lounge, dining room and nightlife atmosphere during the 1950s and 1960s.
The building has since been converted into apartments.
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What is hotel ware?
Hotel ware refers to heavy-duty commercial crockery manufactured specifically for hospitality use. It was designed to withstand frequent washing, stacking and heavy service.
Unlike domestic china, hotel ware prioritised durability over decoration.
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Who made the Rex Hotel plates?
The dinner plates in this set were manufactured by Johnson Bros, England, a well-known producer of commercial china exported to Australia.
They were imported through Brice & Harrison Pty Ltd, Sydney.
The bowls were made by Bristile, Australia, stamped 6/66 — likely June 1966 production.
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How old are these Rex Hotel plates?
Based on manufacturing marks and the operational period of the Rex chain, these pieces most likely date from the early–mid 1960s.
The Bristile date stamp (6/66) confirms at least part of the set was in circulation in 1966.
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Why is vintage hotel ware collectible?
Collectors value hotel ware because:
• It represents commercial and social history
• It is durable and highly usable today
• It reflects mid-century hospitality culture
• It often survives in limited quantities
Hotel ware carries collective memory — it served communities rather than a single household.