Backward Glance - Pubs and beer

Craft beer is a growing trend and the Sunshine Coast is home to what are now considered some of the best craft beer breweries in Australia.

These modern-day victuallers are not so different to those from the past. They offer hospitality, a welcoming face, food, drink and much cheer.

In 1921 Bevara beer was popular. Housewives would brew the “non-intoxicating” ale using a ready mixed product which contained the required amount of real hops, malt and yeast to make 2 gallons (approx. 7.5L) of either hop, malt or pale ale for one shilling and sixpence.

Home brewing in the 1930s could be an expensive exercise. The Nambour Chronicle reported Mr Andrew Dowd, who stood before the Nambour Summons Courts, charged with being in possession of 69 bottles of home-made beer upon which excise duty had not been paid.

The beer had been brewed using a recipe in a weekly Australian journal. Mr Dowd informed the court that the beer was not satisfactory and he was contemplating emptying it out. If the customs officers had arrived a day later, they would have only found empty bottles.

Duty was calculated at 12 shillings, as well as six shillings for the cost of court and professional costs of two pound two shillings for the hapless Mr Dowd.

In another instance in 1936, a local man was fined 20 pounds for selling two bottles of beer close to a public hall, as default of payment he spent six weeks imprisoned in Brisbane goal.

The walls of the historic and iconic hotels of the local area could spin a yarn or two.

One such place is the Landsborough Hotel, formerly the Mellum Club Hotel, which was the pit stop for passengers of Cobb & Co. and one of the oldest hotels on the Sunshine Coast.

The original site for this hotel was on the Old Gympie Road,the main route north to the Gympie goldfields. That all changed with the arrival of the railway in 1890.

A team of bullocks was rustled up and the entire building placed onto wooden skids and hitched to the bullock team.

The hotel continued to trade during this entire epic journey to Cribb Street, creating an early epitome of a mobile bar service as it moved to where the central business area had developed around the railway station.

After six weeks of the painstakingly slow journey, the building became bogged and everyone agreed that enough was enough and positioned the hotel where it is today.

As the beer is pulled in Joe’s Waterhole, Eumundi, stories of past beer loving local legends are told.

A former Queensland boxing champion and local larrikin, Joe Whiting traded his cane field for the hotel, previously known as the Commercial in the 1860s.

Joe was famous for his mischievous behaviour. A story is told about how Joe would glue money onto the bar and after someone would leave, he’d call out to them that they had left their change behind.

Of course, when they tried to pick the money up it would be stuck there to the great amusement of Joe.

The Imperial Hotel in Eumundi has also had a rich history. In 1926, Eumundi residents were woken by the shouts of “Fire! Fire!”

Residents had a narrow escape, Mr Curtis a relieving postmaster, related when he woke from his sleep the whole building was full of smoke and the flames were licking at the floorboards.

In his excitement he grabbed his belongings but to his disappointment after he had jumped over the balcony, he realised he’d only snatched a tooth-brush in one hand and a piece of soap in the other.

Rumour also has it that the hotel is haunted. No-one has been able to get “Margaret", a 30-something young lady wearing a white dress, to leave.

It is not known whether she perished in the fire or was killed in a horse and cart accident. No-one who has seen her has ever stayed around long enough to ask.

In 1986 the Imperial Hotel also created their own craft brewing enterprise with the town lending its name to the ale Eumundi Lager.

Unfortunately, the brewing operations closed down in 1992, however new Eumundi beers started flowing again in 2017.

Yarns will continue to be spun over an ale, though they may not be quite as colourful as they were in the past.

Thanks to the Heritage Library staff for the words and Picture Sunshine Coast for the images.

Image details

Hero: Temporary bar being built for the Commercial Hotel after it was destroyed by fire on 9 October 1966. The bar was set up in the former Nambour Chronicle building, Currie Street, Nambour.

Image 1: Mellum Club Hotel being transported on skids to Cribb Street, Landsborough, 1914

Image 2: Moving the MellumClub Hotel from Old Gympie Road to Cribb Street, Landsborough, ca 1914

Image 3: Imperial Hotel, main street, Eumundi, 1919. Built ca 1910 by Mr Bythyeway. The first licencee was Edgar Jefferies. The hotel was destroyed by fire in 1926 and rebuilt the following year. Since 1987 it has been restored and developed into a hotel-brewery complex.

Image 4: Royal Hotel, corner of Currie Street and Station Square, Nambour, 1960

Image 5:MooloolabaHotel, the Esplanade, Mooloolaba, ca 1938. The hotel was built by J.J. Nutly. The bar opened on 10 December 1937 and provided a ready liquor outlet at Mooloolaba.

Image 6: Public bar in the Commercial Hotel, Memorial Drive, Eumundi, 1973.The hotel building survives from 1926 with many alterations. It replaced the original Commercial Hotel which was destroyed by fire in 1924. In 1988 it was registered as Joe's Waterhole.

Image 7: Main bar of the Club Hotel, corner of Currie and Mill Streets, Nambour, 1962

Image 8: Maroochydore Hotel River View lounge, Maroochydore, January 1968. Picture taken shortly after the lounge was extended to double the capacity of the bar area.

Image 9: Staff of the Commercial Hotel gathered at the main bar, Nambour, 1983

Image 10: Bar staff at the Hotel Caloundra, Bulcock Street, June 1977

Image 11:RollingSurf Motel lounge bar, Levuka Avenue, Kings Beach, Caloundra, November 1976

Image 12: Public bar in the Royal George Hotel, Currie Street, Nambour, November 1962

Image 13:Annual meeting of the North Coast Branch of the United Licensed Victuallers’ Association, Nambour, September 1958. Pictured include: State Secretary of the Association (Neville Lyons), State President (J. Ahern), Branch President (R.J. Grundy), Vice President (P.J. Rafter) and committee members M. Azar, W. Edwards, L. Outtrim and J. Dwyer.