August 2010: Woolwich Dock

27 August 2010

Standing proudly at the entrance to Deckhouse, Sydney's new waterfront eatery at Woolwich Dock, is Dog House.

In a previous life Dog House was a beautifully crafted 9' clinker boat made from Honduras mahogany. It was a perfect example of a 1930's rowboat made by renown Balmain shipwright Paddy Pyne in his workshop next to Balmain Rowing Club.

As pleasure vessels became larger and motorised, Dog House was used on Pittwater as a tender for a family in Lovetts Bay then passed down from friend to friend until it finally sat unused in the corner of a shed where it was discovered by David Kellet who saw its potential as a restoration project and moved it to Woolwich Dock.

Apprentice shipwright Jesse Radcliffe and Leading Hand Ralph Galati sanded and painted it and installed the legs and name under Sean Langman's direction.

This week Dog House began a new life as a shelter for the many canine residents of the Hunters Hill peninsular who accompany their owners to Deckhouse for morning coffee.