A new book, 20 years in the making, by well-known local author Alan Clark takes us on a journey through the colourful history of many Shoalhaven pubs.
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Early Years of Nowra District Pubs was officially launched at the Shoalhaven Historical Society’s meeting at the Nowra Museum on Monday night.
Dick Hall, the son of a former owner of the Bridge Hotel in Nowra, officially launched the book, which will go on sale at the Shoalhaven History Fair at the Nowra School of Arts this Friday and Saturday, June 26-27.
“Pubs were important parts of most villages, along with the church, school, cricket clubs – the hub of the community,” Mr Clark said.
“The history of the pubs is intertwined with the history of villages and towns.”
The latest book follows on from his 1994 publication Pubs of Early Nowra, which was a sell-out.
“I knew a more comprehensive publication was needed in the future, so this has been an ongoing project,” he said.
“It’s taken a long time, but with the internet providing better access to records, particularly to historical newspapers through sites like Trove, it has made researching so much easier.
“Being able to do research like this is something I only ever dreamed about when I started my first research back in the 1970s.
“More things – and, in particular, news-papers – are being added all the time. Everything is not there yet but it is getting better.”
He said many of the columns in early newspapers provided a variety of information.
“There is always a column of one paragraph snippets and you’d be surprised how much information you can furnish from there,” he said.
“They always referred to things that happened in the towns and the pubs invariably got a mention somewhere.”
His 140-page book has 1578 references.
“I got information from a variety of sources, including the Tooth Brewery collection,” he said.
“I have been able to track the owners and licensees of various hotels, as they changed locations and often names, which did happen quite regularly.
“Around 300 licensees have been listed, some of whom were at two or three different hotels.”
Many of the early hotels buildings had wonderful architecture and looked spectacular.
Twenty-seven pubs are featured in the publication. Some such as the Bridge Hotel in Nowra, Friendly Inn Kangaroo in Valley, Great Southern Hotel in Berry, The Australian in Nowra, Greenwell Point Hotel, Huskisson Hotel and Hotel Berry are still operating today, while others like the area’s first local pub, The Sir Walter Scott Inn (1847-67), Prince of Wales Nowra, Hotel Nowra, Commercial Hotel in Terara are long gone.
Pubs at Cambewarra, Tomerong, Numbaa, Yalwal and Wandandian are also featured.
Thanks to funding for the project from the Royal Australian Historical Society, the book price has been able to be kept low and at $20.
There is no rest for Mr Clark, who is currently working on an updated edition of The Waratahs to coincide with the march’s centenary later this year. His next big work will be on Blacksmiths of the Nowra District.
