IF you were planning to get plastered on the grog at Jim Jordan’s pub, you chose the wrong bar.
The publican of Tabulam Hotel, in the far north-east of NSW, between Tenterfield and Casino, was known as ‘Limit Jim’.
Jim, it was reported, limited his customers to drink between two and four beers in succession.
Limit Jim had the Tabulam Hotel on the Clarence River from 1909 until his death in 1925.
Jim though was not only famous for limiting his customers’ drinks. He had a reputation for giving free accommodation and meals to soldiers during and after the First World War, and his generosity put Tabulam on the map.
“I am too old to go to the war, but I will do the next best thing; I will help along all those who travel on this road in uniform,” he was reported to have said.
The publican earned the title of ‘The Prince of Hotelkeepers’, and was always complimented whenever his presence was necessary before a licensing magistrate.
Appearing before the Casino quarterly licensing court to renew his license in 1924, the police inspector asked if the Tabulam Hotel was kept in a cleanly state, and was well run. Before the inspector could finish, the magistrate quipped: “There’s no necessity for the question; he has a world-wide reputation in that direction. It is the only known hotel where you can’t get four drinks. And he is to be complimented on that.”
Jim died while host of the Tabulam pub at the age of 76 in 1925.
Subscribe to the latest Time Gents’ stories
PAYPAL BAR TIP
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
OR DONATE BY CREDIT OR DEBIT CARD
Instead, you can make a credit card donation towards the publication of The Time Gents website. If you would like to support my work, you can leave a $2.50 (Australian) 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 costs and research.
Categories: NSW hotels, Publicans
This was very interesting. There has been very little chance to the hotel. Wooden steps now concrete and no fireplace. My husband & I with my husbands parents had the Tabulam Hotel from 1978