Chapter One: 1820 – 1830
The Evolution of the Australian Pub
By MICK ROBERTS ©
THE liquor industry – particularly pubs – have played a determining role in the history of Australia. This fact is no more evident than in the Illawarra region of NSW where public houses or pubs were meeting places, where both the rich and the poor, convict and the master, would meet, socialise, celebrate and find accommodation.
Pubs were a welcoming sight to exhausted travellers, and a place where they could rest, get a home cooked meals, refreshments and find news from the outside world.
For these reasons, they were absorbing, vibrant establishments that tell a story of a way a community cultivated a culture. The history of Australia’s hotel industry is intriguing, reflecting a pioneering past and tradition that has lingered to some extent to this day.
To advance their respective communities, pubs were often the venues for public and private meetings to progress their primitive surrounds. In those long gone days, they were often the only public buildings where settlers were able to gather. It was common – and still is in some parts of the Illawarra – for the townsfolk to assemble at their local pub to formulate deputations and ideas to achieve community wants. Sporting groups and associations were formed at pubs and many made them their base, often obtaining sponsorship from ‘mine host’. This tradition is proudly continued by the hotel industry to this day.
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Unlock the rich, untold history of the Illawarra region’s early watering holes with a subscription to Illawarra Pubs. For just $4 a year, you’ll dive deep into the social and commercial fabric of 19th-century NSW through a meticulously researched, multi-part historical series.
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- Instant Access to Part One (1820–1830): Over 4,000 words of engaging history paired with historical illustrations documenting the earliest days of the region’s liquor industry.
Your 12-Month Subscription Also Includes:
- Ongoing Releases: Exclusive access to the remaining seven chapters rolling out across the year:
- Chapter Two: 1830 – 1840
- Chapter Three: 1840 – 1850
- Chapter Four: 1850 – 1860
- Chapter Five: 1860 – 1870
- Chapter Six: 1870 – 1880
- Chapter Seven: 1880 – 1890
- Chapter Eight: 1890 – 1900
- The Complete Directory: A comprehensive master list of every 19th-century pub that traded in the Illawarra, complete with the names of their licensees and publicans.
Now available: Chapter Two – Illawarra Pubs: 1830 – 1840
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Categories: Australian Hotels, Illawarra Hotels, NSW hotels, PREMIUM CONTENT
In November 1826 Captain Bishop (as one of his last items of business) recommended the issue of a licence for John (sic) Hurst to put up “convenient to the Illawarra Mountain” a house for the accommodation of passengers and to sell spiritous liquors duty free for the term of one year in order to reimburse him for his expenses. The request was approved -but not to sell spirits duty free. Bishop had been misinformed. The man’s name was George Hurst. He was serving a life sentence (1817) and was a convict assigned to his wife Sarah (nee Hicks). Lieut Fitzgerald, Bishop’s replacement, was forced to have the licence revoked only two months later. George Hurst was returned to Government. (for more details see chapter “Mrs Hurst” in Scandal, Slander and Interfering with Our Neighbours).
Thanks Lorraine.
Do you have a reference for these details besides the book?
Where was the information sourced?
Mick
Col Sec Correspondence NRS 905 Captain Bishop’s letter 26/7802 4/1909: Gov reply NRS 989 4/3716 Reel 1055 page 3: Fitzgerald’s letter 27/1342 4/1921 the Hursts were in court to “prove” ownership of some property which had washed ashore from a ship-wrecked boat belonging to Mr Brown. Fitzgerald commented “these persons are by no means qualified to keep a public house and such a house not being allowed longer to exist cannot be any loss to the public as their means incapacitated them to offer any comfort to travellers, besides the road over the mountain upon which their house is situate will not long be the public road” George Hurst was returned to Government (he did not even have a TOL) for gross prevarication in giving his evidence amounting to perjury NRS 906 2/8319 Reel 2278 pages 13-17.
Thanks again, Lorraine. Interesting information! Thank you. So this inn could be considered the Illawarra’s first pub? What’s your thoughts? The inn was trading a few years before Tate’s at Spring Hill. I’ve already included your much-appreciated information to the story (Chaper One), and will order a copy of your book to read more about thus Hursts. Have you any idea what “road over the mountain” the inn was located? It states that the public road that the house was situated is to be no longer designated as such. I wonder if it was the old bridle track over the mountain at Bulli (Before Bulli Pass)? I’d appreciate your thoughts.
Yes Mick, I think it has to be the first and definitely the shortest period trading! I thought over the mountain may refer to the road over Mt Keira where Spearing’s convict servant was killed in 1826, but nothing to confirm this. I have copies of the book at my place ($30) and postage satchels but payment should go to I.H.S. A chapter on Alderson appears in Misfortune or Fraud? Illawarra and the 1840s Depression. If you wanted both books the cost is $50 + $15 postage up to 5kg. All of my research is from State Archives documents. I am related to two Illawarra publicans, John Ritchie and the Hukins family in Jamberoo/Kiama.