Author Archives

A newspaper journalist, writer and local historian, Mick Roberts specialises in Australian cultural history, particularly associated with the Australian hotel and liquor industry. Mick has had an interest in revealing the colourful story of pubs, inns and associated industries in the Sydney and Illawarra regions of NSW for over 30 years. He is currently working on a comprehensive history of the hotel and liquor industry in the Illawarra region of NSW. Besides authoring a number of history books, Mick has owned and operated several community newspapers. He was one time editor of the Wollongong Northern News, The Bulli Times, The Northern Times, The Northern Leader and The Local - all located in the Wollongong region. As a journalist he has worked for Rural Press, Cumberland (News Limted), Sydney based, City News, and is now with Torch Publications.

  • Hadley’s Orient Hotel, Hobart

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    THE Cascade Brewery Co. Ltd. has imported three trial steel drums, now being used on the Mainland for bulk beer. The brewery is investigating how they stand up to cartage, and whether they affect the flavour of beer. The steel… Read More ›

  • Hotel Darwin

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    Bare Bones Quite unaware of the novelty of his lack of attire a naked man walked into the Hotel Darwin bar on Friday night – so our usually reliable alcoholic informant tells us and picked a fight among the clientele. The… Read More ›

  • Charters Towers’ pubs

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      COLLINS’ EXCHANGE HOTEL. One of the institutions of Charters Towers is “Collins’,” perhaps the most widely-known of all North Queensland Hotels. The proprietors, Messrs. E. Collins and E. Tubbs, were mates in New South Wales and on Gympie, and… Read More ›

  • Just a matter of taste…

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    A SELECTION of Sydney drinkers mixed raw eggs with their beers recently, and most of them enjoyed the flavor. A reporter bought a bag of eggs and asked drinkers in hotel bars if they would like to mix one with… Read More ›

  • Bar-room baron

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    Charles Walker, oldest customer of a Surry Hills (Sydney NSW) hotel, was honored with a “knighthood” yesterday – Daily News (Sydney, NSW) Wednesday 4 January 1939.   

  • Town Hall Hotel, Newtown

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    ROBBERY IN HOTEL Secreting themselves in the boiler room of the Town Hall Hotel, King-street, Newtown, before closing time yesterday, thieves emerged from their hiding place after the last customer had gone, and stole 50 bottles of whisky, 175 packets of cigarettes and… Read More ›

  • Tassie’s mushroom pub

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    Its walls collapsing and roof gone, this historic hotel on the Midlands Highway, near Jericho, is disappearing fast. Alongside it are the ruined stables where generations ago coach horses were changed. The building has been vacant for two years. Since then it… Read More ›

  • White Horse Hotel, Box Hill

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    A HISTORIC EFFIGY. When the White Horse Hotel was built at Box Hill (Vic.) in 1851, a wooden facsimile of a white steed was placed on top of the main entrance. The old building is being demolished, but the owner of the premises… Read More ›

  • Albert Hotel, Bendigo

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    HOTEL WITH SECRET PASSAGE. Police Make Discovery. BENDIGO, Thursday – Following a police raid on the Albert Hotel, McCrae-street, on the night of 23rd November, the licensee, Muriel Spalding, was charged in the city court today with having permitted persons… Read More ›

  • ‘I allus has wan at eleven’

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    Have you wondered about that old weather beaten bloke standing at the bar in those Carlton and United Brewery posters? You know, the one proclaiming ‘I allus has wan at eleven’? His name was Sam Knott, an Englishman who had… Read More ›