Pubs from the 'olden days' in Sydney were lined with tiles, both wall and floor, to enable the staff to use a hose after closing, to wash the stink of hops down the drains. This is one such pub. Built in 1901/1902, the Royal Hotel Bondi stands upon the steep rise from Bondi Beach, where Bondi Road intersects with Denham Street. The rise that the Bondi trams (the ones that used to 'shoot through') had to wind across and around because the gradient was beyond them.
The three friezes here, are on the external walls of the Royal Hotel Bondi. They are typical of the period between the wars, and indicate the pursuits and interest of the working-class males who frequented the pub.
When the Royal Hotel Bondi was first built, it was surrounded by MacKenzie's Waverley Dairy which milked 200 cows daily by hand. The stud bulls were kept in a paddock immediately across the road from the pub on what is now Hunter's Corner. The herd was released to graze in Marks Park on the south Bondi headland where 'Sculptures by the Sea' is held, and then each evening herded up the rise to be locked up prior to the morning milking. MacKenzie's Dairy was overwhelmed and gobbled up by the still-existing Dairy Farmers' and the land sold for housing in 1919-1921.
15 comments:
Thank you Julie. These are so great!
as a young kid I remember walking by the old hotels en route to somewhere with my Mum and noting that signature aroma in the air. I always enjoy your excellent commentary attached to your posts Julie.
Love those old posters. They've gone missing from so many pubs these days. Glad to see them still displayed somewhere.
Made me laugh the idea of hosing out the pub every night Julie, a bit like the public loos that give you 4 mins before the whole place is awash!! The posters are fantastic, such 'manly' images haha! Fascinating to think way back then it's neighbors were of the bovine persuasion!!
I know what you mean about the temp, it's crazy hey, 23C and I'm sitting here with a cardi on!!
Would not be such a bad idea if some of the "drinking holes" today could be cleaned as easily by a good hosing out. Interesting history also of land use Julie. Reminds me of the family's pig farm on the river at Dalkeith! If only that land had not been sold so there would be enough money to open up a local store!
Ah yes. The images took me back to childhood memories of walking past Neutral Bay's Oaks Hotel back in the late 1940s, and the sounds and beer smells emanating from the public bar which always seemed quite dark when glimpsed through the doorways.
And a big piece of nearby Cammeray was dairy farms back then.
Oh dear, FM, m'dear. I don't think you will like The Oaks in its current incarnation. I will see if I can get over that way.
Rae, your family had land down by the Swan? And ran pigs ... how delicious!
More on land use on Taphophile Tragics this week, folks. Just got all the shots I needed before the grey turned to sleet.
Thanks for the new Royal. It is one I have passed on numerous occasions and it has never been the right occasion to spot. So as you are in first to get the image so the sighting will be yours and I will take the also spotted by position.
Now the description of the land use around it back in the past is so hard to comprehend in the context of what is there today. Wouldn't it be fascinating to be a time traveller.
Will post your Royal a bit later in the week.
Thank you, Joan. I will go into landuse a bit on Tuesday when I tell you about the dairy farmer who ran the Waverley Dairy.
Tomorrow another pub ...
I revisited The Oaks maybe ten years ago, Julie. After growing up in Neutral Bay and eventually becoming a regular patron of both its public bar and beer garden, I left Sydney and the Lower North Shore in 1972 and didn't get back for nearly three decades. The weird part was that when I did one Saturday night, I looked around the beer garden and got kinda resentful about what the hell these people were doing in MY pub.
*chuckle.
You know, FM, sometimes it is best not to go back. Not to see what 'they' have done. To continue to live in the memories of the past.
Take the shots of BJ in today's post. There is a 1902 and a 2012 shot. To me, neither are the image in my mind. My mind is stuck in 1962.
Can't imagine cows grazing on the headland. Would love to see a photo of those days.
I have searched and searched for cows in Marks Park, but to no avail. But I continue ...
My kind of place!
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