The Marlborough Hotel, Marlborough, Queensland. Photo: Bruce Howard.

The Marlborough Hotel’s swear bottle. Photo: Bruce Howard.

THE little lady schoolteacher was positively outraged by the swearing at the pub (though she did admit that “bull” was allowable, this being the heart of Brahmin country). So she put a large bottle on the bar:

“SWEAR BOTTLE, IN AID OF TRIP TO DARWIN.”

It would be nice to report that she raised sufficient money for the fare in three or four bawdy nights. But, alas, barely a coin was dropped into the bottle.

“Y’see,” said the barmaid, “if you don’t contribute, we hit you over the head with the bottle.” And it turned out the local blokes preferred a sore head to parting with their cash.

– John Larkins.

*Marlborough Hotel is located in Marlborough Qld, 100 Kms north of Rockhampton.

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 is an excerpt from the now out of print book.

Bar Tip

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Categories: Queensland hotels

Tags: Bruce Howard, John Larkins, Marlborough Hotel Marlborough, swear bottle, swear jar