The 9 Oldest Pubs In Australia - Australian Traveller

From a haunted inn that once concealed a tunnel to an insane asylum, to a roadhouse responsible for refuelling planes, these nine historic pubs are catnip for the curious pub patron.

Whether you’re travelling to a tiny settlement in the middle of the outback, visiting a buzzing state capital, or escaping to a bucolic country town, chances are you’ll find one unifying feature across all three. An Antipodean institution that’s practically as old as colonial Australia itself, the humble pub.

While a number of the country’s historic taverns have met an untimely end, either falling into disrepair or being pounced on by developers looking to make a quick dime, a clutch of heritage pubs have survived – some clocking up almost 200 years in the business.

Read on for a taste of the oldest pubs in Australia that will make you step back in time.

1. Macquarie Arms Hotel, Windsor, NSW

a historic building beneath tall trees at Macquarie Arms Hotel — Lush greenery surrounds the oldest pub on the Australian mainland. (Credit: Destination NSW)

As if its location, close to the meandering Hawkesbury River, wasn’t enough, this NSW pub also scores top marks for heritage. Having welcomed its first patrons in 1815, the Macquarie Arms Hotel claims to be the oldest pub on the Australian mainland and is said to be the most intact major commercial building dating back to pre-1820 Australian colonial history.

The current publicans have brought things a touch more up-to-date with their steady roster of live music, beer garden with kids’ playground attached, and pub grub menu (think burgers and schnitties aplenty).

But vestiges of the past still linger: marvel at the circular cedar staircase, eye the turned timber verandah posts, and wander through the large Georgian doorway, flanked by traceried sidelights.

Little-known fact: This storied property was built by convicts, who once called the hotel’s cellar home.

Address: 99 George St, Windsor, NSW

2. The Surveyor General Inn, Berrima, NSW

Looking to spice up a drive along the Hume Highway? Make a beeline for The Surveyor General Inn in the Southern Highlands. A picture-postcard watering hole in the heart of the Southern Highlands, The Surveyor General was built in 1834, licensed as an inn the following year, and still proudly bears the architectural features to prove it.

The main building is constructed of rough-hewn local sandstone and rendered sand stock bricks, with timber and pressed metal ceilings and a carved cedar bar that is close to celebrating its centenary.

Raise a glass to The Surveyor General’s historic legacy with a middy of local beer on the verandah come summer, or pull up a pew at the bar with a glass of red and wallow in the warm glow of the open fireplace come winter.

Little-known fact: The inn was visited by a number of notorious Bushrangers in the early days, and – according to legend – the son of one early licensee captured the elusive bushranger Thunderbolt in 1870.

Address: 26 Old Hume Hwy, Berrima, NSW

3. Hope and Anchor Tavern, Hobart, Tas

a vintage exterior at Hope and Anchor Tavern — Step into the vintage Hope and Anchor Tavern. (Credit: Tourism Tasmania and Adam Gibson)

Established in 1807, the Hope and Anchor Tavern is technically Australia’s oldest continuously licensed pub. Yet one caveat – the fact that it’s experienced periods of closure despite maintaining its licence – means that its New Norfolk cousin, the Bush Inn (more on that below) is often recognised as the country’s most historic boozer.

Whatever its classification, there’s little doubt that this Apple Isle tavern is well worth a visit.

Stepping inside the Hope and Anchor’s upstairs dining area is like walking into a living museum: antique wooden clocks, deer heads, sabres and rifles are mounted onto the golden brocade wallpaper, alongside olden portraits and under the light of chandeliers.

Little-known fact: The Hope and Anchor Tavern does a mean hot buttered rum – the perfect antidote to Tassie’s fresh and blustery weather.

Address: 65 Macquarie St, Hobart, Tas

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4. The Bush Inn, New Norfolk, Tas

the historical exterior of Bush Inn Bar & Bistro — The Bush Inn is deemed Australia’s oldest pub. (Credit: Tourism Tasmania & Rob Burnett)

Said to be one of the most haunted spots in the country, The Bush Inn in Tasmania has become something of a ghost hunter’s Mecca. Located in the small town of New Norfolk, this 26-room hotel has been operating continuously since 1815 and is arguably the oldest Down Under.

Spooky goings-on are not the Bush Inn’s only claim to fame, however: Dame Nellie Melba stayed at the hotel (and sang there) during her 1924 visit to Tasmania, and in 1888, the first telephone call in the Commonwealth was made from the hotel.

The venue has recently been taken over by new owners who are set to renovate the pub, breathing new life into it while keeping its heritage roots.

Little-known fact: Below the pub lies a hidden tunnel that was used to transport patients from the Derwent River to the Royal Derwent Hospital (originally New Norfolk Insane Asylum), so they wouldn’t be seen.

Address: 49-51 Montagu St, New Norfolk, Tas

5. Nindigully Pub, Thallon, Qld

a dirt track road going to Nindigully Pub — Nindigully Pub is set on the banks of the Moonie River. (Credit: Tourism and Events Queensland)

Endearingly known as ‘The Gully’, this Queensland pub has been serving schooners since 1864, and the bar walls, plastered with memorabilia, stand as a testament to its different lives.

The property was once used by the sheep shearers that worked at neighbouring Nindigully Station as accommodation, and the Akubras of those same drovers line the walls, alongside vintage beer signs.

From the late 1800s, the Nindigully Pub served as a Cobb & Co changing station, with old black and white photographs that chronicle this period hanging in the cosy pub dining room.

Located down a dirt track road, on the banks of the Moonie River, not far from the border with NSW, this bush pub also features a beer garden dotted with palm trees and an open-air bar.

It offers free camping to visitors on its grounds, provides live country music on most weekends, and even has its own house brand beers on tap – the Gully Gold and Moonie Mud – as well as locally produced wine.

Little-known fact: The age of this Sunshine State venue isn’t its only virtue – the Nindigully Pub is also home to a 1.5kg beef patty known as the ‘Road Train’, which is said to feed up to six hungry punters. Those with an even bigger appetite can pre-order a ‘Real Big Mack’ which features a whopping 25kg patty of beef.

Address: Sternes Street, Nindigully, Qld

6. Rose and Crown, Perth, WA

a classy pub exterior at Rose and Crown — Rose and Crown exudes classic country-style charm.

Located in WA’s popular Swan Valley wine region, in the thick of Guildford’s historic – and rather charming – Swan Street, the Rose and Crown is an obvious addition to any gourmet getaway. Built in 1841, it’s the oldest operating hotel in the state and a beautiful example of Georgian-style architecture.

Hole up in one of the property’s 28 ensuite lodge rooms and make a weekend of it, or swing by for a hearty meal (steak and Guinness pie with mash, roast pork with veggies, Cajun style squid and salad) and a chilled glass of local chenin blanc in the beer garden.

Little-known fact: Legend has it that the opening of the hotel led to a rise in drunk and disorderly behaviour, which in turn called for the construction of a jailhouse and courthouse on the next street.

Address: 105 Swan St, Guildford, WA

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7. Merrijig Inn, Port Fairy, Vic

rustic exterior of Merrijig Inn — The Merrijig Inn has rustic charm.

Not only does Merrijig Inn happen to be one of Victoria’s oldest pubs, built in the mid-1800s, but this historic stone cottage is also among the most charming in the state. So charming, in fact, that it’s worth engineering an entire weekend away at Port Fairy just to bathe in all of the Merrijig Inn’s atmospheric glory.

While away an hour or three in the sun-licked Garden Bar with a glass of wine from its celebrated list, along with some housemade charcuterie. Order generously from the farm-to-fork menu, curated daily by acclaimed chef Tanya Connellan. And bed down in one of the ludicrously economical (and wildly cosy) attic rooms that feature antique iron beds and views over the Moyne River.

Little-known fact: This little property in regional Vic has formerly served as a magistrates’ court, a police station and barracks, a boarding house, and an antique shop before its current incarnation as a pub.

Address: 1 Campbell St, Port Fairy, Vic

8. Daly Waters Pub, Daly Waters, NT

pink flowers bloom outside Daly Waters Pub — Visit the Daly Waters Pub for a drink. (Credit: Tourism NT/Kate Flowers)

An outback pub with a number of eccentric strings to its bow (or should that be bra?), the Daly Waters Pub is not quite as aged as some of the other venues on this list.

It started out life as a general store in the early 1930s and didn’t receive its publican’s licence until 1938, but that’s not to say it isn’t steeped in many a legend. From murders and drunken brawls to hauntings, main street shoot-outs, and cattle stampedes through this one-horse town (pop. 55), the roadhouse has seen it all.

And as outlandish as it may seem, the tiny settlement of Daly Waters, 600 clicks south of Darwin, was in fact the site of the first international airfield in Australia.

Former publican and Daly Waters Pub founder, Bill Pearce, was not only responsible for refuelling the passengers but also for refuelling the planes. You can still visit the aircraft hangar today – it’s located just a two-minute drive from the pub.

Plastered with all manner of curios, this kitsch pub is a prime example of pioneering Aussie spirit. Drink there, eat there, stay there, and lap up the atmosphere at this quintessentially Antipodean pub.

Little-known fact: The bras that can be seen dangling from the ceiling are said to have started accumulating in the 80s. And because the pub doesn’t have any windows, just flyscreens, these smalls are regularly washed.

Address: 16 Stuart St, Daly Waters, NT

9. The Old Canberra Inn, Canberra, ACT

Famously older than the city of Canberra itself, this suburban inn began life as a humble timber slab and pole home for Irish immigrants in 1857.

By 1876, it became a mail and passenger coach stop on the Yass to Queanbeyan run, serving beer and food to travellers, before transforming into a family home once again in 1887.

Finally, in 1976, after undergoing sensitive restorations, the property received its licence once again and became known as The Old Canberra Inn.

Today, a sense of the inn’s rich history still pervades its cosy interiors. Between its beamed ceilings, creaky wooden floors, and timber walls, you’ll find wood-burning fireplaces and Chesterfield sofas.

And what The Old Canberra Inn’s outdoor area lacks in historical artefacts, it makes up for with a family-friendly space that promises a spacious paved beer garden, complete with a children’s play area.

Little-known fact: The Shumack family, who built the original hut on this very plot, is credited with making substantial contributions to the development of Canberra.

Address: 195 Mouat Street, Lyneham, ACT

Abandoned mills and forgotten paper plants are finding second lives – and helping redefine a city long underestimated.

Just 15 years ago, Federal Mills was a very different place. Once among the most significant industrial sites in Victoria, the historic woollen mill was one of a dozen that operated in Geelong at the industry’s peak in the mid-20th century, helping the city earn its title as ‘wool centre of the world’. But by the 1960s global competition and the rise of synthetic fabrics led to the slow decline of the industry, and Federal Mills finally shuttered its doors in 2001. Within a few years, the abandoned North Geelong grounds had become makeshift pastoral land, with cows and goats grazing among the overgrown grass between the empty red-brick warehouses. It was a forgotten pocket of the city, all but two klicks from the bustle of the CBD.

Geelong cellar door wine bar — Geelong has shed its industrial identity to become an innovative urban hub with reimagined heritage spaces. (Image: Ash Hughes)

Federal Mills: from forgotten factory to creative precinct

Today, the century-old complex stands reborn. The distinctive sawtooth-roof buildings have been sensitively restored. An old silo is splashed with a bright floral mural, landscapers have transformed the grounds, and the precinct is once again alive with activity. More than 1000 people work across 50-plus businesses here. It’s so busy, in fact, that on a sunny Thursday morning in the thick of winter, it’s hard to find a car park. The high ceilings, open-plan design, and large multi-paned windows – revolutionary features for factories of their time – have again become a drawcard.

Paddock Bakery andPatisserie — Paddock Bakery and Patisserie is housed within the historic wool factory. (Image: Gallant Lee)

At Paddock, one of the precinct’s newer tenants, weaving looms and dye vats have been replaced by a wood-fired brick oven and heavy-duty mixers. Open since April 2024, the bakery looks right at home here; the building’s industrial shell is softened by ivy climbing its steel frames, and sunlight streams through the tall windows. Outside, among the white cedar trees, families at picnic benches linger over dippy eggs and bagels, while white-collar workers pass in and out, single-origin coffee and crème brûlée doughnuts in hand.

Geelong: Australia’s only UNESCO City of Design

Paddock Bakery can be found at Federal Mills. (Image: Gallant Lee)

“A lot of people are now seeing the merit of investing in Geelong,” says Paul Traynor, the head of Hamilton Hospitality Group, which redeveloped Federal Mills. A city once shunned as Sleepy Hollow, and spurned for its industrial, working-class roots and ‘rust belt’ image, Geelong has long since reclaimed its ‘Pivot City’ title, having reinvented itself as an affordable, lifestyle-driven satellite city, and a post-COVID migration hotspot.

And the numbers stand testament to the change. In March 2025, and for the first time in its history, Greater Geelong became Australia’s most popular regional town for internal migration, overtaking Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. Current forecasts suggest Geelong will continue to outpace many other Australian cities and towns, with jobs growing at double the rate of the population.

Tourism is booming, too. The 2023-24 financial year was Geelong and The Bellarine region’s busiest on record, with 6.4 million visitors making it one of the fastest-growing destinations in the country. It’s not hard to see why: beyond the city’s prime positioning at the doorstep of the Great Ocean Road, Geelong’s tenacity and cultural ambition stands out.

As Australia’s only UNESCO City of Design, Geelong is swiftly shaking off its industrial past to become a model for urban renewal, innovation, sustainability and creative communities. The signs are everywhere, from the revitalisation of the city’s waterfront, and the landmark design of the Geelong Library and Heritage Centre and Geelong Arts Centre, to the growing network of local designers, architects and artists, and the burgeoning roster of festivals and events. That’s not even mentioning the adaptive reuse of storied old industrial buildings – from Federal Mills, to Little Creatures’ brewery ‘village’ housed within a 1920s textile mill – or the city’s flourishing food and wine scene.

The rise of a food and wine destination

Restaurant 1915 is housed within a restored former boiler house. (Image: Harry Pope/Two Palms)

Traynor credits now-closed local restaurant Igni, which opened in 2016, as the turning point for Geelong’s hospo industry. “[Aaron Turner, Igni’s chef-patron] was probably the first guy, with all due respect, to raise the bar food-wise for Geelong,” he says. “People now treat it really seriously, and there’s clearly a market for it.” While Igni is gone, Turner now helms a string of other notable Geelong venues, including The Hot Chicken Project and Tacos y Liquor, all within the buzzy, street art-speckled laneways of the CBD’s Little Malop Street Precinct. Many others have also popped up in Igni’s wake, including Federal Mills’ own restaurant, 1915. Housed within the cavernous boiler house, 1915’s interior is dramatic: soaring, vaulted ceilings with timber beams, exposed brick, a huge arched window. The share plates echo the space’s bold character, playing with contrast and texture, with dishes such as a compressed watermelon tataki, the sweet, juicy squares tempered by salty strands of fried leeks, and charred, smoky snow peas dusted with saganaki on a nutty bed of romesco.

The Woolstore, one of The Hamilton Group’s most recent hospo projects, opened in February. It occupies a century-old riverside warehouse and exudes a more sultry, fine dining ambience. Much like Federal Mills, the blueprint was to preserve the original brickwork, tallowwood flooring and nods to the building’s former life. That same careful consideration extends to the well-versed, affable waitstaff as well as the kitchen. Head chef Eli Grubb is turning out an eclectic mix of ambitious and indulgent mod Oz dishes that deliver: strikingly tender skewers of chicken tsukune, infused with hints of smoke from the parrilla grill, and glazed with a moreish, sweet gochujang ‘jam’; nduja arancini fragrant with hints of aniseed and the earthy lick of sunny saffron aioli; and golden squares of potato pavé, adorned with tiny turrets of crème fraîche, crisp-fried saltbush leaves, and Avruga caviar, to name but a few stand-out dishes.

Woolstore menu — Woolstore’s menu is designed for sharing.

Breathing new life into historic spaces

On the city’s fringe, hidden down a winding side road with little fanfare, lies a long-dormant site that’s being gently revived. Built from locally quarried bluestone and brick, and dating back to the 1870s, the complex of original tin-roofed mill buildings is lush with greenery and backs onto the Barwon River and Buckley Falls; the audible rush of water provides a soothing soundtrack. Fyansford Paper Mill is one of few complexes of its time to survive intact. It feels steeped in history and spellbindingly rustic.

“We were looking for an old industrial place that had some charm and romance to it,” explains Sam Vogel, the owner, director and winemaker at Provenance Wines which moved here in 2018. When he first viewed the building with his former co-owner, it was in such a state of disrepair that the tradie tenant occupying the space had built a shed within it to escape the leaking roof and freezing winter temperatures. “To say it was run down would be an understatement,” he notes. “There was ivy growing through the place; the windows were all smashed. It was a classic Grand Designs project.”

Provenance Wines moved to Fyansford Paper Mill in 2018. (Image: Cameron Murray Photography)

The team has since invested more than a million dollars into their new home. Where paper processing machinery once sat, wine barrels are now stacked. Vaulted cathedral ceilings are strung with festoon lights, and hidden in plain sight lies a shadowy mural by local street artist de rigueur Rone – one of only three permanent works by the artist.

While the award-winning, cool-climate pinot noir, riesling and chardonnay naturally remain a key draw at Provenance, the winery’s restaurant is a destination in itself. Impressed already by whipsmart service, I devour one of the most cleverly curated and faultlessly executed degustations I’ve had in some time. It’s all prepared in a kitchen that is proudly zero-waste, and committed to providing seasonal, ethical and locally sourced meat and produce under head chef Nate McIver. Think free-range venison served rare with a syrupy red wine jus and a half-moon of neon-orange kosho, shokupan with a deeply savoury duck fat jus (a modern Japanese take on bread and drippings), and a golden potato cake adorned with a colourful confetti of dehydrated nasturtiums and tomato powder, and planted atop a sea urchin emulsion.

handcrafted pieces — Bell’s handcrafted functional pieces on display.

The complex is home to a coterie of independent businesses, including a gallery, a jeweller, and its latest tenant, ceramicist Elizabeth Bell, drawn here by the building’s “soul”. “There’s so much potential for these buildings to have new life breathed into them,” says Bell, whose studio is housed within the old pump room. “Even people in Geelong don’t know we’re here,” she says. “It’s definitely a destination, but I like that. It has a really calming atmosphere.”

A Melbourne transplant, Bell now feels at home in Geelong, which offers something Melbourne didn’t. “If this business was in Melbourne I don’t think it would’ve been as successful,” she notes. “It’s very collaborative in Geelong, and I don’t think you get that as much in Melbourne; you’re a bit more in it for yourself. Here it’s about community over competition.”

The 9 oldest pubs in Australia to make you step back in time

From a haunted inn that once concealed a tunnel to an insane asylum, to a roadhouse responsible for refuelling planes, these nine historic pubs are catnip for the curious pub patron.

1. Macquarie Arms Hotel, Windsor, NSW

2. The Surveyor General Inn, Berrima, NSW

3. Hope and Anchor Tavern, Hobart, Tas

4. The Bush Inn, New Norfolk, Tas

5. Nindigully Pub, Thallon, Qld

6. Rose and Crown, Perth, WA

7. Merrijig Inn, Port Fairy, Vic

8. Daly Waters Pub, Daly Waters, NT

9. The Old Canberra Inn, Canberra, ACT

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Inside Geelong’s glow-up from factory town to creative capital

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Federal Mills: from forgotten factory to creative precinct

Geelong: Australia’s only UNESCO City of Design

The rise of a food and wine destination

Breathing new life into historic spaces

From a haunted inn that once concealed a tunnel to an insane asylum, to a roadhouse responsible for refuelling planes, these nine historic pubs are catnip for the curious pub patron.

1. Macquarie Arms Hotel, Windsor, NSW

2. The Surveyor General Inn, Berrima, NSW

3. Hope and Anchor Tavern, Hobart, Tas

AI Prompt

4. The Bush Inn, New Norfolk, Tas

5. Nindigully Pub, Thallon, Qld

6. Rose and Crown, Perth, WA

7. Merrijig Inn, Port Fairy, Vic

8. Daly Waters Pub, Daly Waters, NT

9. The Old Canberra Inn, Canberra, ACT

11 stunning spring towns you need to visit

How to maximise your annual leave in 2027

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Qantas double points and status credits are back – but you’ll need to be quick

Abandoned mills and forgotten paper plants are finding second lives – and helping redefine a city long underestimated.

Federal Mills: from forgotten factory to creative precinct

Geelong: Australia’s only UNESCO City of Design

The rise of a food and wine destination

Breathing new life into historic spaces