DISTURBED ON THE DUNNY

A TRAVELLING salesman got a shock of his life while paying a visit to the backyard dunny of a pub in central west NSW early last century.

A couple of horses belonging to stableman, Bert Elliott were being harnessed to a buggy in the yard of Bathurst’s Royal Hotel in 1910 when they bolted.

As a result, the buggy collided violently with the Royal’s outhouse, which unfortunately at the time was occupied by the startled commercial traveller, who the Bathurst National Advocate revealed on October 5, “had a narrow escape”.

Five years previously, Bert was the lessee of the stables at the nearby Grand Hotel, where he was involved in another nasty accident. He somewhat stupidly got onto the roof of the pub’s stables to endeavour to hold down a few sheets of loose iron in a wind storm.

When the gale was at its height, the roofing, about 50 feet (15 metres) long by 20 feet (seven metres) wide, with Bert on top, was raised into the air for fully 70 feet (25 metres).

The roofing soared skyward, and was carried about 60 yards (55 metres), with Bert holding on for dear life, before he was dumped – along with the roofing – in the chook yard of the Royal Hotel.

Bert was taken into the Royal and treated by the local doctor. He escaped with a few lacerations and fractured ribs.

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Categories: NSW hotels

Tags: accident, Bert Elliott, dunny, Grand Hotel Bathurst, outhouse, Royal Hotel Bathurst