By MICK ROBERTS © THE Harp Hotel was old Billy Fitzpatrick’s second home. The retired baker had been a ‘regular’ at the pub, in the Illawarra region of NSW, for 64 years when he was photographed enjoying a noggin of… Read More ›
NSW hotels
Regents Park Hotel: The Publican versus the Salvationist
By MICK ROBERTS © One of the more notorious incidents in almost a century of trading at the Regents Park Hotel in Sydney’s west was when the publican booted out a Salvation Army officer, who was collecting donations and selling… Read More ›
Tragic death of the founder of Prospect’s Royal Cricketers’ Arms
FORMER publican, Jim Manning had been missing for over 24 hours when his son discovered his blood saturated body in bushland in Sydney’s west in 1927. Jim’s death at the age of 73 was a tragic end to the life… Read More ›
Venues warned of Covid crackdown throughout NSW
Liquor & Gaming compliance officers will be out across NSW to check if venues are COVID safe and that those participating in the NSW Government’s Dine & Discover program are complying with its rules. Liquor & Gaming Director of Compliance… Read More ›
Bondi cab driver’s brilliant method of lubricating his Sunday social club
WE’RE an inventive lot, us Australians. When obstacles are put in our way – especially when it comes to enjoying a beer with mates – we can become quite imaginative. In fact, in Bondi cab-driver, Cec Hayne’s case, resourcefully clever…. Read More ›
Bungendore’s two Royal Hotels
By MICK ROBERTS © THE Royal Hotel in Gibraltar Street Bungendore has remained closed since 2020 when restoration work got underway on the historic building. The Royal Hotel, about 20 minutes’ drive from Queanbeyan in NSW, opened for business in… Read More ›
A Pelican Spree in The Big Scrub
By Jimmie Pannikin* When Gang No. 7½ of cane-cutters cut-out last season, it was found that they had made the record cheque; and to show their joy and pride, they decided to go on the razzle right away in Fourpubbs*,… Read More ›
Cornish builder responsible for Sydney’s Centennial Hall and St Mary’s Cathedral, also constructed and hosted Woolloomooloo’s Merryfield Hotel
By MICK ROBERTS © LARGELY unheralded for his many notable building projects, Cornish builder, Richard Merrifield Nancarrow was responsible for an imposing pub that traded at Woolloomooloo, in Sydney’s east, for almost a century. The Merryfield Hotel, which sadly called… Read More ›
Paddy Larkin’s pub at Sydney Central Station
FACING Sydney’s George Street, stark and unwelcoming concrete stairs, replace where the Prince of Wales Hotel at Haymarket once traded for over 115 years. Demolished in 1970, the Prince of Wales Hotel sat between Rawson Place and Barlow Street, opposite… Read More ›
Feature pub: Agincourt Hotel, Broadway Sydney
THE Hotel Agincourt opened in Sydney in 1897 replacing an earlier hotel by the name of the Turon on the same site. The hotel was named in honour of the ‘Battle of Agincourt’, an English victory in the Hundred Years’ War. It took place on 25… Read More ›