Captain Cook Hotel in Paddington backflips on name change as new owners sail in

In a rebranding backflip, a pub that controversially ditched its association with explorer Captain James Cook has new owners. They’ve made its ‘woke’ name change walk the plank.

An iconic Paddington pub has resumed its original name -The Captain Cook Hotel – under new ownership, right. It was controversially renamed the The Captain, left, by the previous owner. Pictures: John Grainger

A “woke” decision to ditch the name of Captain Cook from a landmark Paddington hotel has now been reversed – with the new owners erecting prominent signs returning to the original name of the “Captain Cook Hotel”.

The historic 1914 hotel, opposite the Sydney Cricket Ground, had been controversially rebranded “The Captain Paddington” in 2020 across its signage, menus and social media because the owners had thought it “sounds cooler”.

That’s despite having an historic bust of explorer Captain Cook atop their heritage listed building.

It sparked a backlash about “cancel culture” by trying to erase the name of the nation’s most famous explorer.

But now the new owners, who bought the pub late last year, decided to rebrand using an iconic image of the explorer’s face in a blue logo and include bright new neon signs out the front with the full original name.

The Captain Cook Hotel in Paddington on Tuesday, sailing under its new signage after new owners that returned its original name Picture John Grainger

One Nation NSW Leader Mark Latham hailed the decision as a victory for “common sense” and an example of the adage, “go woke, go broke”.

“I think what they have found is that the woke Paddington mob might say they don’t like Captain Cook but a lot more revenue would come from the sporting fraternity who drink there before rugby league games, cricket, soccer,” he said.

The 2020 “woke” renaming of the hotel as The Captain Paddington. Picture Dylan Robinson

“They’ve had to pull their heads in – it’s the punters, the sports fans who have loved that pub over the years, who love Captain Cook and would love the historic name of the pub.

“Captain Cook is back and whoever Captain Paddington was, well, he’s gone off to join Paddington Bear.”

Late last year the private BLM Group, directed by pubs and pokies baron Bruce Mathieson bought the hotel, backpacker accommodation and poker machine entitlements for more than $13 million, the financial press reported.

Back in 2020, the prior owners made the name change by saying the pub would be more “food-based” and it would “give the place a fresh face”.

The hotel has been contacted for a response.