The Crecy Hotel, northern corner of Oxford Street and Palmer Street. Darlinghurst 1910
WHILE a number of customers were collectively ‘blowing the froth off one’ at the Crecy Hotel, Oxford Street, on the morning of March 1, two Prices Branch officers ‘blew into’ the public bar and ordered two middies.
Two noggins of the amber colored nectar were duly produced, but the prices men were charged 8d a glass for the joy-juice, and they lost no time inasking the licensee ‘What for?’
The over charge had a sequel in the Special Federal Court on Wednesday, when George Duesbury, licensee of the Crecy, was fined £25 for selling two glasses of draught beer for 1s 4d when the fixed price was 1s 2d.
Inspector J. M. Dale, an officer of the Prices Branch, said that at about 11.50 am on March 1, with Inspector Kenny, he went to the Crecy Hotel. Duesbury, who pleaded not guilty, said that the barmaid had come to work for him only that day. She had asked him to give her an opportunity to learn the bar trade, and he agreed, but told her he had no vacancy for any employees. Miss Dwyer, said Duesbury, was in the saloon bar with an experienced barmaid.
Until the Prices Officers spoke to him he had no idea Miss Dwyer had made any sales outside the saloon bar, Duesbury declared.
Elizabeth Jean Dwyer, of Liverpool St., Darlinghurst, said that she was working in the saloon bar of the Crecy that morning. She went into the public bar to get some glasses, and while there served Dale and Kenny with two middies, charging 8d for each drink. This was the first occasion she had ever worked in a bar. She realised now that it was wrong to charge 8d for middies in the public bar.
Miss Dwyer said that before working as a barmaid she had been a waitress. She was now employed at the Sun newspaper cafeteria. Mr. Atkinson, SM.: Don’t tell me they serve beer at the Sun office now!— No, your Worship.
Inspector Dale, recalled, said that, apart from the two beers served to him and Kenny, he also saw others being charged 8d for middies in the public bar that morning.
-Truth (Sydney) Sunday 14 July 1946
Categories: NSW hotels, Publicans, Sydney hotels
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