In a time when pubs were forbidden from opening on the Sabbath, former owners of the Old Empire Hotel in Wahgunyah, Jack Parker and his wife Phyllis, better known as “Fairy”, ran a secret operation, quenching the thirst of a few mischievous locals.
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While the front of the hotel was seemingly closed on a Sunday, around the back, beyond the grapevine covering the back wall, Fairy would spend her Sundays serving illicit drinks to all who knew the system. Jack would keep cockatoo out the front, whistling to signal when the police were arriving.
The party goers would crush into a single bedroom when the alarm went off, trying not to laugh, but the local police typically turned a blind eye.
In his new book ‘Drinking in the Rivers”, author and photographer Colin Whelan shares stories like this and more, delving into the rich history and unforgettable characters of local watering holes right along the Murray and Edward Rivers.
In his travels to the local area, Colin stopped not only in Wahgunyah but also, Howlong, Corowa and Mulwala.
“Corowa is a beautifully historic town. I called into a few places around the area. Kristi and Brett over at Fairy’s in Wahgunyah are doing a fantastic job. While I was there, I met some great blokes with ripper stories,” Colin said.
After popping into a few pubs along the main street of Corowa, Colin discovered the Newmarket Hotel.
“It says it’s the cocky’ s bar outside and I thought, yeah that’s me. It was a Friday afternoon and Mitzy, the red headed publican tells me I should come back on a Monday when all the old blokes are in,” Colin explained.
“I went back in there on Monday and there was a few OBE’s (Over Bloody Eighty’s) who always go to the sheep sales, having a few jars and telling lies.”
Drinking in the Rivers is a testament to the core values of the bush and the continuing role pubs have in their communities. As Colin trekked to some 70 pubs along the Murray, the self-described “pub aficionado” remarked on the defining characteristics of the people he met along the way.
“Everyone is very open and very friendly out here,” he said.
“The Murray goes for 3000km and every person you meet believes they are living in the best place along the river.
“It doesn’t matter if they are from Corowa, Wahgunyah, Howlong, Mulwala or Swan Hill. They all believe they are at the best place possible with the best mates possible. It’s incredible.
“They say to me, ‘No one wakes up in Tintaldra wishing they were somewhere else’ and it goes on, right along the river. The number of times I heard the phrase, “this is God’s country”, I just lost count. It’s fantastic. It’s a wonderful environment to be in.
“It was great being immersed with people who are happy with their situation despite droughts, fires or COVID. It can be tough out here, but the people along the Murray wouldn’t want to be going through those tough times anywhere else.”
Colin spent 30 years as an official photographer for the NRL, before he began travelling on his motorcycle into the Australian bush, telling yarns about small town pubs.
“I really do enjoy the atmosphere about a good country pub,” he said.
‘Drinking in the Rivers, Vol I: The memorable pubs and unforgettable characters of the Murray and Edward Rivers’ by Colin Whelan, New Holland Publishers is available from all good book retailers or online www.newhollandpublishers.com.
“Book stores are doing it really tough at the moment, so if you can’t get to one it is available for purchase online,” Colin said.
