Murdoch’s Hotel, which once faced Morwell Railway Station in Commercial Road, and backed onto George Street, was a landmark pub for over 75 years before its demolition in 1964. Morwell is a town in the Latrobe Valley area of… Read More ›
Victoria hotels
The Six O’Clock Swill
THE six o’clock swill was an Australian and New Zealand slang term for the rush to buy drinks at the pub before closing time. During a significant part of the 20th century, most Australian pubs turned off the beer at 6pm, which… Read More ›
The gun battle at Wheelers Hill pub
By MICK ROBERTS © FRED Gessner was applauded for his courage fending off three bushrangers who attempted to rob his pub in the year 1900. The Wheelers Hill Hotel, where the fierce gun battle occurred over 120 years ago remains… Read More ›
Wily publican replaces beer with water to outwit police
Wily Publican’s Ruse SPECTATORS in the Horsham Court became convulsed with laughter on Tuesday during the hearing of a case in which Albert McGee, of Dooen Hotel, pleaded not guilty to selling beer in prohibited hours. McGee said two men… Read More ›
New Beer Device: The introduction of ‘drip trays’ into pubs
A NEW non-drip device has been installed in a Melbourne hotel. The barman places the glass of beer on a wire grate on the non-drip tray. Then the customer drags the glass across a synthetic cellulose sponge which absorbs drips…. Read More ›
Good riddance to the ‘six o’clock swill’!
By MICK ROBERTS © AN attempt to rid New South Wales of 6pm closing of pubs came in 1947 when the Government held a referendum. However the vote did not achieve the required number of votes to pass, and the… Read More ›
Famous footballer becomes publican
Toast to luck IT’S ON HIM – just for luck. John Coleman behind the bar of the Essendon Hotel, Victoria, gives Joe Evans, his first customer yesterday, a beer “on the house” – and gets a good-luck handshake. Coleman, a former Essendon goal sneak, yesterday… Read More ›
Boycotting beer – The Great Pub Strikes
By MICK ROBERTS © THE barmaids must have looked on in sheer horror as thousands of thirsty beer drinkers began filling the public bar of their Bulli hotel on Christmas Eve 1940. With just 40 minutes before closing time, hardly a… Read More ›
Beer Up – But Still Going Down
BEER PRICE COULD RISE FURTHER Beer price rises which operate today cover only increased excise. If an application by the breweries for a price increase (now before the Prices Commissioner) is approved, beer prices will rise still further. New prices in force today include :-… Read More ›
Chinese publicans in Australia
By MICK ROBERTS © IT’S fair to say that the Chinese are not the first settlers who spring to mind when telling the story of Colonial pubs in Australia. Although the Irish and English dominated as Colonial publicans, there were… Read More ›