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Sink a pot at Australia's oldest pubs

Anna Houlahan
November 17 2023 - 1:00pm
A truck parked in front of Nindigully Pub. Picture via Nindigully Pub
A truck parked in front of Nindigully Pub. Picture via Nindigully Pub

A road trip along Australia's east coast is not complete without a visit to some of the country's iconic old pubs and hotels.

Push open the saloon style doors in any small Australian town and you'll be hit with the familiar smell of beer soaked carpets, frying parmigianas and a whiff of decades-old cigarette smoke.

The locals, perched around the bar, pause their cracking yarns to whip around and take a look at the newcomer.

Tradies in the back corner rack up another game of pool while waiting for their counter meals to cook.

The regions are home to some of the country’s oldest watering holes

Sivar Hartman, a 27-year-old Dutch backpacker, smelt the distinctive fragrance walking into Nindigully Pub in rural Queensland for his first shift.

"It smells like a real outback pub, you can smell the Australian dirt and the old wonky wooden floorboards," he said.

"I love the pub, I love the people and the history. It's a really Australian place.

"The same locals come in everyday, sit in the same chair and order the same drink," he said.

And that drink is XXXX Gold.

Nindigully Pub, Thallon QLD

Akubras belonging to Thallon's early sheep shearers line the walls of this historic pub built in 1864.

Almost 160 years later the locals continue to pull up a stool at the bar.

The well-known pub continues to attract big crowds with more than 1500 people expected to visit during the Nindigully Pig Races on November 25.

One of Nindigully Pub's mega burgers. Picture via Nindigully Pub
One of Nindigully Pub's mega burgers. Picture via Nindigully Pub

The pub is famed for its share-style burgers containing kilos of barbecued ground beef but visitors are advised to call ahead and pre-order.

Tattersalls Hotel, Armidale NSW

Tattersalls Hotel, licenced in 1854, is the centrepiece of Armidale's outdoor mall in the rolling green hills of northern NSW.

The hotel has undergone a massive transformation into a glamourous gastro pub winning four awards in the 2023 Australian Hotel Association NSW Excellence Awards including Regional Hotel of the Year.

The renovated facade of Tattersalls Hotel, Armidale. Picture via Tattersalls Hotel
The renovated facade of Tattersalls Hotel, Armidale. Picture via Tattersalls Hotel

Stop in for a steak sandwich in their highly commended restaurant or catch some live music in their beer garden.

Manager Mitch Shaw said the New England Pale Ale, brewed 20 kilometres down the highway in Uralla, was the local favourite.

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The Ship Inn, Newcastle NSW

The Ship Inn on Hunter Street, erected in 1846, is one of Newcastle's oldest pubs.

The Ship Inn in Newcastle. Picture via The Ship Inn
The Ship Inn in Newcastle. Picture via The Ship Inn

The former bank and community organisation meeting hall has a rich history in the blue collar town.

The pub's licensee James Hannell met with the "advocates for the incorporation of the borough of Newcastle" at The Ship Inn and he was elected as the town's first mayor in 1859.

It now houses a gastro pub with a Mexican menu and extensive cocktail list including the 'Shippy Bloody Mary' and the 'Flamin' Galah'.

Merrijig Inn, Port Fairy Vic

Merrijig Inn in Victoria's charming seaside town of Port Fairy is one of the state's oldest pubs.

The stone cottage, Merrijig Inn, in Port Fairy. Picture via Merrijig Inn
The stone cottage, Merrijig Inn, in Port Fairy. Picture via Merrijig Inn

The historic stone cottage was built in the mid 1880s to face the town's original jetty and tempt passing visitors to the Moyne River.

Chef Tanya Connellan cooks a farm to table menu featuring hearty classic such as house-made pappardelle with winter greens and rolled rabbit saddle with cannellini beans.

Bush Inn, New Norfolk Tas

New Norfolk's Bush Inn has celebrated some monumental moments in Australian history since it opened in 1815.

The Commonwealth's first telephone call was made inside the 26-room hotel and Dame Nellie Melba stayed and sang at the heritage pub when she visited Tasmania in 1924.

The view from Bush Inn in New Norfolk on the Derwent River. Picture via Bush Inn
The view from Bush Inn in New Norfolk on the Derwent River. Picture via Bush Inn

Enjoy a pot of Cascade lager and a classic counter meal with the ghosts, and locals, who haunt the bar.

Anna Houlahan

Anna Houlahan

Journalist

Reach out with news or updates to anna.houlahan@austcommunitymedia.com.au

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