Occasions & pubs

AHA & TAA NATIONAL

THERE ARE CERTAIN INSTITUTIONS WITHIN A COMMUNITY THAT STAND FOR THE SPIRIT AND HEART OF THAT COMMUNITY… THE PUB AND ITS MANY OCCASIONS

FIRST COINED TABERNAE, THE PUB THAT WE KNOW AND LOVE TODAY WAS ESTABLISHED DURING THE ROMAN OCCUPATION. FUNCTIONING AS A SMALL INN, ITS DOORS WERE ORIGINALLY OPEN TO TRAVELLERS ON THE ROMAN ROAD NETWORK, OFFERING A COMFORTABLE BED, A HOT MEAL AND SOME MUCH-NEEDED REFRESHMENT.

Following the demise of the RomanBritish kingdoms, the tabernae evolved into the alehouse, which eventually became so popular that King Edgar was forced to put a limit on expansion, ruling that only one could exist per village. Despite this attempted deterrence, members of the community adopted the alehouse as their local meeting spot, where hot gossip was exchanged over a few beverages and the enduring foundations of the modern pub were laid.

Down under, the Australian pub is known as a direct descendent of the British public house. Asserting a dominant role in Australian commerce and social activity, the cultural significance of the production and consumption of alcohol in pubs is reflected in the fact that Slim Dusty’s humorous song ‘A Pub With No Beer’ was the first Australian single to go gold – as the entire country could empathise that there would be “nothing so lonesome, morbid or drear, than to stand in the bar of that pub with no beer.”

Proliferating during the 19th century, the first Australian pubs were built in colonised areas, particularly close to the goldfields and in the vicinity of new towns. While they originally functioned as hostels, post offices, restaurants, meeting places and general stores, the pubs of our modern society have evolved into so much more…

Pinned as the place for legendary events, Australian pubs are renowned for a number of reasons. Located in Billinudgel, NSW is the Billi Pub, also known as the former home of Mar Ring - Australia’s oldest publican. Working in the industry for 53 years, until the astounding age of 101, she taught former Prime Minister Bob Hawke how to pull a beer and was awarded an M.B.E for community service. Or look to Broken Hill, also in NSW where stands the Palace Hotel – another example of our industry’s heritage - known for its intricate cast iron veranda railings and feature in the smash-hit movie Priscilla Queen of the Desert.

Serving as the original stage for rock sensation INXS, the pubs of Western Australia were where the band began performing covers and playing some of their original music. In fact, it was at a chance meeting in the car park of the Narrabeen Antler - a pub located in the Northern Beaches of Sydney - that Gary Morris, the manager of Midnight Oil, approached lead guitarist Tim Farris. Offering the band both representation and a position as the supporting act of Midnight Oil, the incredibly successful career of INXS took off from there; and while their music became an international hit, their sound remained true to its Aussie pub roots.

With the rise of modern technology, the pub also developed into a site of anticipation, of jaw-dropping, nail biting suspense, where fanatics watch sporting events week in and week out, hoping that this season their team will conquer. It is where dedicated fans congregate to celebrate national victories, much like the South Sydney Rabbitohs winning the NRL Telstra premiership for the first time in 43 years and where Australian’s engage with the international arena, witnessing live events from across the globe, such as the epic Mayweather and Pacquio fight. It is where tears are shed for the losses and glasses are toasted for the wins.

While you would assume that friendly rivalry would be reserved for the sporting aspects of pubs, it also plays a prominent role in quiz culture. Developed in the 1970s by Burns and Porter associates, responsible for adapting the concept of incorporating a few spontaneous quizzes into a weekly pub league comprising upwards of 10,000 teams; the big pub quiz has been adopted internationally as a means of bringing the community together to test knowledge in a competitive and entertaining way – a recipe for a night of banter and fun.

The pub also pervades work culture as a prominent place of ritual and routine. While many officegoers and professionals schedule business lunches at the pub, others attend drinks to congratulate fellow

colleagues that have received job promotions and the vast majority arrive around 5 o’clock to wind up the workday. Regardless what the occasion is, the pub is that place that brings business people together to network and mingle.

Sharing in some of the most intimate milestones of the community’s lives, the pub is also a well-known site for special occasions and celebrations. In Docklands Victoria, the Woolshed’s strikingly modern event room has seen its fair share of 21st birthdays. In Erskineville NSW, the Rose of Australia offers a laid back atmosphere appropriate for first dates, with a range of board games on stand by to ease any awkward tension and the Royal on Waterfront in Western Australia boasts a beautiful backdrop for the toasting of newly announced engagements.

Finally, let’s not forget the significance of the pub on a Sunday, as how else would we know the weekend was drawing to a close without a traditional roast? The Sunday roast is all about sitting down with family and friends to reconnect after a long week over a delicious plate of lamb, gravy and ‘veggies’. Often served cheaper on a Sunday at the local pub, the roast is a family friendly dining experience, guaranteeing members of the community an opportunity to relax and catch up.

There you have it, the pub – originally coined the public house, and for many today – their local. While the language we use to define the pub and the reasons we attend may vary between city and state, what the pub signifies is not only unanimous nationwide, but across the world – community.

AHA & TAA NATIONAL