The George
The 1923 Australian Hotel, later a Chinese dispensary, now lovingly restored
About the Property
The George began as the Australian Hotel in 1923 before serving as the Teik Bin Chinese Dispensary — a layered commercial biography that mirrors Jalan Macalister's own evolution. The British Colonial Eclectic facade, with its broad verandah arches and rendered pilasters, has been carefully preserved, while the interiors marry heritage architectural bones with a refined contemporary sensibility worthy of Penang's most distinguished civic street.
Original Purpose
Australian Hotel, later Teik Bin Chinese Dispensary
Highlights
History Timeline
Penang joins the Straits Settlements; Jalan Macalister is laid out as one of the main inland boulevards connecting the historic waterfront to the residential hinterland beyond George Town core.
The Australian Hotel opens on Jalan Macalister catering to travellers and merchants from across the British Empire, establishing the site as a hospitality address serving the international trading community.
The current British Colonial Eclectic building is completed, featuring decorative arched facades, deep verandahs, and classical pilasters; the ground floor is subsequently occupied by Teik Bin Chinese Dispensary.
Japanese forces occupy Penang; the Jalan Macalister building is taken over for administrative use and the dispensary business is forced to close for the duration of the occupation.
George Town UNESCO inscription extends the buffer zone to include Jalan Macalister buildings, prompting heritage assessment of the 1923 Colonial Eclectic structure and its unusual layered history.
The George boutique hotel opens after restoring the 1923 building, blending contemporary design interventions with the retained colonial facade and original decorative plasterwork on Jalan Macalister.