Another iconic Australian pub is on the market.
Lee’s Hotel, the original ‘Pub With No Beer’ is being sold freehold for the first time in 50 years … with a price tag of $3.5 million.
The hostelry in the North Queensland town of Ingham was the inspiration behind the legendary Slim Dusty song.
Current owner Glenn Connell told the ABC that the pub was a priceless piece of Aussie history, recalling that it was thirsty soldiers who famously drank the place dry back during World War II.
“In 1943, the Americans were moving north to secure against the Japanese,” Mr Connell said. “They arrived at two in the morning to the hotel and woke the publican up.”
The ABC reports that pubs operated under a rationing scheme at the time, so it was a double blow for locals.
The story was recorded by Ingham farmer Dan Sheahan, who rode 20 kilometres on horseback the next day to the Lee’s Hotel, hoping for a cold pint, only to be offered a measly glass of red wine instead.
He wrote a poem detailing his lament, and it was that poem that Slim Dusty turned into a hit song in 1962.
The ABC reports that travellers from around Australia now visit the bar to hear about the tragic tale of a country pub running out of the cold stuff, and to check for themselves whether the taps are still running dry.
“It is a custodian position to keep it all rolling,” Mr Connell said. “That’s what we do and what the hotel’s about.”
He says the pub now comes fully stocked and there’s even a sign out the front, promising that the pub is ‘guaranteed to never run out of beer again’.
Mr Connell told the ABC there had already been plenty of interest in the pub, including foreign investors, but he says he’d rather it went to a local … perhaps a descendant of Dan Sheahan or of Slim Dusty — to take over the pub.
No way, Taylor’s Arm hotel was the original Pub with no beer!
As an ex NSW man I’ve come to realise that the world revolves around Qld.
Maybe where the actual song was rewrote for Slim ..
Dan Sheahan.. was The Man who wrote it
Page 71 of 140 pages
Songs From The Canefields
By Dan Sheahan
First published 1972, reprinted 1973, 1980
Published By. Josephine R Sheahan ISBN 0 959465 0 4
Illustrations By Thomas McLaughlin
Slim’s song is a very small part taken from the overall song which is 30 lines long or 5 paragraphs of 6 lines each.
Even today, many song are hit’s not written by the artist.
Still Slim did Dan proud.
My husband and I did a 6-month tour of Australia 4 years ago – travelling through every state. Without a doubt, the pub in Daly Waters was our absolute favourite. Amazing place.
Great Pub, great song, there are only two types of people in the world, Slim Dusty Fans and those who won’t admit it