The Best Local Pubs For Australia Day

26 January 2016
Read Time: 3.2 mins

Happy Australia Day ya bloody legends! Right about now we should all be gearing up for the Triple J countdown, putting the stubbies on ice and applying green and gold zinc to every exposed body part.

Feel like something's missing? It might be the absence of an iconic Aussie watering hole.

Although these may not technically be your 'local', the following true-blue drinking establishments are some of the best for a tipple on our nation's greatest and most liberal day.

Besides, next year you might do well deciding to make one of them your temporary local.

Story Bridge Hotel, Queensland

Only 2 weeks to go! #cockyraces #storybridgehotel #australiaday

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One of the last remaining hotels with authentic Queenslander architecture, the Story Bridge Hotel is a yew-beut venue that saves its best atmosphere for ... don't make me write it ... Australia Day.

The hotel's Annual Australia Day Cockroach Races celebrates its 35th year in 2016 with plenty of high-octane roach racing and beer swilling.

Patrons can purchase cockroaches on the day, or those headless chooks who are bonkers enough to catch one can bring their own racers.

If you're not fond of creepy-crawlies, there's plenty of seating far from the action and you can distract yourself with cheap drinks, food trucks, live music and more at the all-day street party.

Mitre Tavern, Victoria

#LongWeek #Bar #Beers #FridayNight #Pres #MitreTavern #Melbourne

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Founded in 1835, the Mitre Tavern is not only Melbourne's oldest pub, but also its oldest building. This fair dinkum Aussie billabong has held onto its heritage even with the big smoke billowing up around it.

Heck, the place has touched many, even the creators of Mitre 10, who got the name for their hardware chain while enjoying a session in the pub.

You'll find a hearty selection of local brews on tap including Carlton Draught, Fat Yak, Coopers and the fondly-named Minimum Chips. You'll need one to wash down a chicken parmie, salt and pepper squid, or something else from the extensive menu.

Find yourself in the Beer Garden on Australia Day for a drink amongst rowdy revellers with nothing but the sky above.

Largs Pier Hotel, South Australia

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Built in 1882, this seaside pub has been welcoming weary seafarers home with a pint or two for more than a century.

Although it looks more like a missing section of the Roman Colosseum, you'd be a drongo to think this place isn't green and gold right down to its sunburnt core.

How else can you explain celebrating Oz Day with $5 pints of Coopers, Aussie-inspired grub, nothing but cricket on the big screens and hours of the Hottest 100?


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Australia Day: The Year Of The Great Aussie Picnic


Pub In The Paddock, Tasmania

Just off the main highway from Launceston to St Helens, the Pub in the Paddock isn't about to break its capacity limit, but it's certainly one for a drink or two if you find yourself nearby.

The resident celebrity is Priscilla, a grog-guzzling sow that can reportedly scull a watered-down stubbie in seven seconds – that's one helluva sheila!

You can fill up on home-cooked pub food that incorporates quality local produce.

Daly Waters Pub, Northern Territory

#dalywaterspub #dalywaters #ntaustralia #seeaustralia #travelwithkids #ourbiglap

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You'll have to put in some hard yakka to reach this one. It's about 6.5 hours' drive south of Darwin, but it's worth the journey to step inside one of the original Outback pubs.

The place is draped in history, literally, with hundreds of bras hanging from the roof and other memorabilia left behind on the walls.

There are numerous yarns to be heard too, covering shoot outs, cattle stampedes and murders during much wilder times.

Like all true-blue pubs, Australia Day sees an influx of patrons all eager for a bite and long swig from a cold glass of draught beer.

Pub With No Beer, New South Wales

Halfway between Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbour sits one of Australia's better-known bars named after the famous Slim Dusty song Pub With No Beer.

It all began with a moment that every publican fears: the place ran out of beer. Misfortune turned to eternal fame and now the pub is well-stocked with local craft brew, Murray's.

A welcoming joint, there's plenty of memorabilia to gawk at along with a quaint beer museum and regular entertainment.

The Roey, Western Australia

#hilltophoods #broome #theroey

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Broome's oldest watering hole, The Roey has a classic Outback facade of red dust-covered corrugated iron, but step through the saloon doors and you'll find it's far from outdated.

Live bands, comedians, DJs and artists provide ripper entertainment and there's the Pearlers Bar-Bistro for a corker of a menu and well-priced drinks.

Keep an eye out for the odd rusty local too, as they've got plenty of stories to share about the place, so long as it's your shout!


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Ben Stower

I love the kind of travelling that is one part strategic planning and two parts spontaneous adventure. Whether I'm exploring my local city or a small town in the middle of nowhere, I'm always hoping to find something no one else has discovered.