Historic Australian Pubs and Hotels

One of my nerdy pastimes is to photgraph old and historic Australian pubs. Yeah, I know, some people like churches, and I get that, but I'm not particularly religious and I prefer a lager over a sermon any day.

And because I travel on the road a lot, I get to see a lot of pubs. I sometimes stop for a drink or a meal, sometimes I stay overnight. What enthrals me about old Aussie pubs is the stories that have been told around these bars and the histories attached to these buildings.

I'd love you to join me and share any yarns you have about old Aussie pubs and hotels. Were you a publican? Did you grow up in a hotel with parents who were? Did you buy an old hotel and restore it as a new home. Please share.

Below is a continually updated slideshow of hotels I have visited. Some I've just driven past or found on a lonely country road - others I've spent some time in.

Read more with these great books. 

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Overland Corner Hotel - oldest pub on the Murray River

This classic colonial inn, reputedly the oldest surviving hotel to be built along the Murray River, has had a colourful past, hosting patrons ranging from bushrangers to ghosts.

Argyle Emporium - the haunted old Goulburn police station

Ghost Among the Books

Once upon a time these halls and walls echoed to the sounds of shackles and handcuffs accompanied by the cruel shouts of the jailers. Today it’s deathly quiet, the silence only interrupted by a few quiet footsteps, some muted conversations and the muffled turning of pages as eager fingers riffle through an intriguing volume.

Land's End: Eyre Highway to Head of Bight

The Eyre Highway from Ceduna to Head of Bight is so flat you can see the curvature of the Earth.

Words: Kris Madden

A fiery ball of yellow at the end of the road transforms the flat, A treeless, bluebush-studded landscape into an upside-down replica of the Aboriginal flag. We're driving from Ceduna to the Head of Bight along a section of the Eyre Highway, and I'm feeling hypnotised by the long, straight road, which is the only thing ahead of us as far as the eye can see.

Letters from America. A four-month trip to USA in 1958. (Work in Progress)

 

In 1958 my father, Mervin Eime, travelled with work colleagues on an 18-week business trip to the USA to investigate new products and tooling techniques for Pope Products, an Adelaide-based manufacturing firm producing, at the time, mainly irrigation equipment. At the age of 41, it was dad's first overseas trip - really thrown in the deep end. Married just five years, mum remembers waiting the lonely weeks for his regular correspondence. His style is dry and matter-of-fact as was the fashion of the time but deals with the more entertaining aspects in a wry and witty style. I will also include his photos and postcards as illustrations. As I am publishing in segments, be sure to come back for new instalments. - Roderick Eime Adelaide, August 2021.

The story behind the cannons in your local park

When we were kids, I’m sure you’ll remember climbing all over the old cannons in the park. Of course, as children, it’s hard to imagine the horror these weapons inflicted on the enemy.