Bellambi Hotel, Bellambi, C1950. One of the many historic images featured in the book, Sister Pubs. Picture: Noel Butlin Archives, Australian National University.
NOT many pubs can boast of their own private passenger train. Well, Bellambi Hotel on the NSW South Coast, can… The pub had its own train, which took guests to the beach.
William Wilson, manager of the South Bulli Colliery at Russell Vale, north of Wollongong, owned and hosted the Bellambi Hotel during the 1890s. The colliery’s rail line ran from the escarpment colliery, past the pub to a jetty on Bellambi Point, where the coal was shipped around the world.
Wilson arranged for a passenger carriage to be hooked onto the back of the South Bulli Colliery’s coal train, which would stop outside his hotel to take guests to Bellambi Beach for a dip or a bit of fishing.
This is just one of the many yarns and stories featured in the book, Sister Pubs.
To help celebrate the 130th anniversaries of the Bellambi Hotel, Bellambi, and Heritage Hotel, Bulli, ‘Time Gents’ presents the history book, ‘Sister Pubs’, featuring stories of their colourful characters, a list of all the publicans, amusing yarns, and plenty of beaut pictures.
Available at the Bellambi Hotel (Call first, stocks are running low), or at the Black Diamond Heritage Centre, Bulli Railway Station, Franklin Ave (open Sundays from 1pm to 4pm)
SOLD OUT ONLINE
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Categories: Illawarra Hotels, NSW hotels
Hi John. I just checked your order. You filled out the ‘shipping address’ as “Shipping address” “John Sepple 47 Nickol Rd Nickol WA 6714 Australia”. That’s why the book came to you in WA.