Norm Kelly at the bar of the White Horse Hotel, Charters Towers. Photo: Bruce Howard

NORM Kelly (pictured) knew there was tin in that hill; he knew it deep in his heart. But he was out prospecting with his uncle, who was the boss, and he said, “No.” So they went fossicking somewhere else.
Then two men came and found tin by the ton in Norm’s hill. They became wealthy men. But Norm never quite made it, and now he sits in the White Horse in Charters Towers (Qld) and pours out his soul to anyone who’ll listen.
“I’d be millionaire today,” he said, “but maybe there’s still a chance. I reckon I still know where there’s a reef of gold.”
– John Larkins.

IN the early 1970s, writer, John Larkins and photographer, Bruce Howard went on a 40,000km pub crawl around Australia, telling their wives, “Don’t wait up!” With Larkins wonderful words, and Howards’ fabulous photos, they chronicled an amazing snap shot of Australian pub culture – many, both people and pubs, which have now gone. From that expedition they had published “Australian Pubs”. These are excerpts from the now out of print book.

Can you help with a small donation?

PAYPAL BAR TIP

YOU can also make a small donation towards the running of The Time Gents website through Paypal. If you would like to support my work, you can leave a small tip here of $2, or several small tips, just increase the amount as you like. Your generous patronage of my work and research, however small it appears to you, will greatly help me with my continuing costs.

2.00 A$

Categories: Queensland hotels

Tags: Bruce Howard, John Larkins, Norm Hill, White Horse Hotel Charters Towers