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”. This in an excerpt from the now out of print book.

The historic two-storey White Horse Hotel was replaced with a single storey building sometime after 1972. The pub continues to trade from the site under the name of the White Horse Tavern. Can anyone help us with additional information? What was the fate of the original White Horse, and when did the current building replace it?

Subscribe to the latest Time Gents stories

OR DONATE BY DEBIT OR CREDIT CARD

Don’t have PayPal? Instead, you can support my work by leaving a secure $2 debit or credit card donation here, or you can increase the amount after clicking or tapping into the icon below. Your generous patronage of my work and research, however small it appears to you, will greatly help me with my continuing research.

Categories: Queensland hotels

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