5 May 2026
An application under consideration by North Sydney Council has revealed the Union Hotel’s plans to extend its trading hours later into the night, with a new close time of 3AM on most nights.
Currently, the iconic North Sydney pub is permitted to trade Monday to Saturday between 10:00 am and 12:00 am, and on Sunday between 10:00 am and 10:00 pm. Under the current proposal, they hope to extend hours Monday to Saturday to be from 10:00 am to 3:00 am, and on Sunday from 10:00 am to 12:00 am.
In the application, the Union intends to fit doors with self-closing latches on the ground floor and the southern facade, as well as install improved sound-proofing glazing. They also will modify processes to comply with smoke-free legislation and regulations regarding amplified music, gaming machines, and acoustic compliance checks. The associated works for the extended hours are estimated to cost $48,866.
Neighbouring venue the North Sydney Hotel currently has the same hours as the Union, while the Rag & Famish closes at 3:00 am Wednesday to Saturday and midnight Sunday to Tuesday. Up the road, the Crows Nest Hotel is the latest-trading bar/pub on the North Shore, closing at 4:00 am Wednesday to Saturday, midnight on Sunday, and 3:00 am on Monday and Tuesday.
In April 2025, the Union Hotel changed ownership from The Good Beer Group to Watering Hole Hotels for a reported $21 million. This came just months after the 150-year-old pub had undergone a significant renovation.
The potential extension of trading hours would be yet another change at the pub to attempt to increase patronage and profitability.