Venue: Argyle Stores
Town: Sydney, AU

The Argyle Stores is a heritage-listed former custom house and bond store that now serves as offices, bar, function rooms and restaurant located at 12-20 Argyle Street in the inner-city Sydney suburb of The Rocks in the City of Sydney local government area of New South Wales, Australia. Henry Cooper designed the east wing, and the designer of all other wings is not known. The Argyle Stores were built from 1826 to 1878, and is also known as Argyle Bond Stores and Cleland Bond Store. The property is owned by Property NSW, an agency of the Government of New South Wales. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 10 May 2002. The first European development of the site was associated with the extension of Sydney's first Hospital, with the planting of herb and vegetable gardens on the later bond store site. The first building was a house commenced by Captain John Piper in 1826 at what became the east wing of the current stores, who sold it before completion to Mary Reiby in 1828. Frederick Unwin bought it later that year and completed the building in c. 1829. Designed by architect Henry Cooper, the three-level building had a dressed stone elevation to Argyle Street. Samuel Terry bought the site in 1831. The northern extension to the Customs House was completed by 1835. In 1839, Unwin again purchased the site, and work commenced on 'Unwin's Bonded Stores'. These included an addition to the northern side of the Custom House and other buildings forming a courtyard in the middle. In 1826, construction of the East Wing was started under Piper's supervision in his capacity as Naval Officer. As the property owner, Piper sold the land and partially completed building to Mary Reiby in 1828, who sold it to Frederick Unwin. In 1829 Unwin mortgaged the property, and from 1830 the east wing was used as the "Custom House". Unwin regained ownership in 1838, and building construction resumed in 1839. Around 1844, goods such as brandy, wine, tea, cheese, tobacco, flour