Kurri Kurri Hotel, Kurri Kurri, NSW 1926. Photo: Noel Butlin Archives, Australian National University.
ONWARD we go, on our Upper Hunter road trip, this time to the picture postcard pub, so familiar to those who love the architecture of Australian hotels.
The Kurri Kurri Hotel is majestic in everyway. A beautiful example of Australian pub architecture.
Licensed for business on April 7 1904, the Kurri Kurri Hotel was opened by John Price Jones. Jack built his grand 34 room hotel, at a cost of £4,100, and was given the nod by the magistrates to proceed with a conditional license over other applications on the day, because of his superior dunnies.
While publicans' character was paramount to magistrates when considering granting pub licenses, they also were pretty focussed on dunnies too. The old 'Woolloomooloo' ranked high on magistrates' hoops, when considering a license application.
Jack had both – a good character, and the best, you beaut, flush dunnies.
Other applicants vying for pub licenses in Kurri Kurri on that day had their applications rejected by the magistrates on the grounds that they provided "cesspit" conveniences; nothing like Jack's chain mechanism.
Flush with success, Jones opened the Kurri Kurri Hotel for business in April the following year. His pub was said to be the largest in town, with the best dunnies a man could float his back teeth.
‹ Chelmsford Hotel, Kurri Kurri.