Meet your local publican: SA’s oldest pubs from Adelaide to Burra, Robe and the Hills
They keep the beer flowing at 10 historic hotels and now these publicans are sharing tales of growing up in pubs, front bar banter and supernatural experiences.
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South Australians have a proud and long history owning pubs that spans almost two centuries.
The Edinburgh Castle Hotel boasted the state’s oldest trading licence dating back to 1837 before it closed in 2018 due to surrounding developments shutting off access to the watering hole.
Plenty of pubs followed the Currie St institution’s opening, with some of those remaining operating since 1838 and are still pouring pints and welcoming patrons to this day.
It’s time to meet the locals behind some of SA’s oldest pubs, from Adelaide, to Robe, to the Riverland and beyond.
The British
Location: 58 Finniss St, North Adelaide
The British in North Adelaide has seen patrons come and go since 1838, after it was granted a licence in December 1837, making it one of the state’s oldest pubs.
Owners Ryan Hughes and Matthew Kelly bought the pub a year ago and have plans to revamp it to highlight its traditional and cosy atmosphere.
Just a few street away the pair have owned The Kentish Hotel for three years
“We want to restore The British to what I recall when I used to go to uni and I used to drink here back in the early 90s,” Mr Kelly said.
“It’s the third oldest pub built in South Australia, it’s a traditional style pub with a lot of character and we wanted to keep that.”
Mr Kelly said the redevelopment would be guided by the building’s heritage listing but wanted to create a parklet for people to drink and dine outdoors out front.
“I’ve been to a few lovely pubs in Sydney, in The Rocks, and there’s all parklets out the front that is very inviting,” he said.
“We want to create that here, we only have a little beer garden at the back and it would be nice to have that at the front. It always looks inviting when you walk past and see people dining and drinking outside a pub.”
Mr Kelly also said he wanted to recreate a traditional UK pub.
“We’ve got three fires that are on during the day, and that invitation to sit back and have a good bottle of wine and a meal is there, and it does have a warm feel like an old British pub would,” he said.
The rich heritage and history of The British is on display with its old fashioned brickwork, signage and lettering rewinding the clock a couple of centuries. Inside, there are old photos of the pub and its first licence in 1837.
Preserving that history and the building’s architecture are important to Mr Kelly and Mr Hughes.
“We wanted to keep the rich history behind The British and just freshen it up a bit,” Mr Hughes said.
“It’s all about good food, good service, good wine and a fantastic atmosphere, which The British has had for over a century.”
The Governor Hindmarsh
Location: 59 Port Rd, Hindmarsh
It’s Adelaide’s favourite live music venue but would you believe it was originally owned by a bushranger who was imprisoned in 1851, only three years after it opened?
Captain W. Wright opened The Gov before he became a bushranger and was caught holding up places on Port Rd according to its current owners.
Named after SA’s first governor, Captain John Hindmarsh, The Gov will soon celebrate 175 years since it opened its doors with the Tonkin family also marking 30 years of ownership.
Jo Tonkin, her brother Richard and sister Melissa grew up in pubs, with parents Brian and Vivien buying the Hindmarsh hotel in 1993.
“I’m a fourth generation publican, my mum was christened in a pub and we have a fifth generation of Tonkins working as well, so we are very ingrained in hotels,” Ms Tonkin said.
“Mum and dad moved to SA in the ’70s and had several hotels before The Gov. They are music enthusiasts and we grew up going to folk festivals and they would put bands on at their various hotels.”
Brian Tonkin built its infamous low stage back in the ’90s, where most concerts are held.
“The stage was built quite low so the audience could connect to the acts, and a lot of the tours we have coming through whether they’re interstate or international often say it was the best show of their whole tour,” Ms Tonkin said.
“We are really proud to have developed that reputation.”
Famous faces who have performed at The Gov include Adelaide’s own Sia, Keith Urban and Hozier.
The Overland Corner Hotel
Location: 205 Old Coach Rd, Overland Corner
Former Sydney-siders Brad and Nicole Flowers were five days into a trip around Australia when the Covid-19 pandemic hit.
It changed their holiday plans but also their lives.
“We weren’t allowed to stay at a caravan park or free camp where we were, so we had no place to go,” Mr Flowers said.
“Luckily, our best friends own The Woolshed in the Riverland and said we could come and park the caravan there.”
The family, including two kids Indiana and Jax, drove for 20 hours to the Riverland and during their time there decided to revamp The Overland Corner Hotel and “bring her back to her former glory”.
The limestone pub was built in 1856 making it one of the oldest standing structures in the state. It’s been a police station, post office, a general store and a telephone hub.
“It’s a pub that we’ve looked at for many years on our travels up to the Riverland and thought she had seen better days,” Mr Flowers said.
After months of painting, it reopened in February 2021 but was forced to close again for weeks during last year’s floods.
Mr Flowers said they “could see the water coming closer to us every day” and the pub also had a brush with royalty when Prince William video called various Riverland business owners amid the floods.
“We like to say the pub is a living and breathing museum that you can have a beer in,” Mr Flowers said.
“We’ve absolutely had a ball, we are in a beautiful location in the Riverland, it has turned out wonderful. We are full time Riverlanders now.”
Magpie and Stump Hotel
Location: Burra St, Mintaro
As the oldest pub in Clare Valley, established in 1851, it’s safe to say the Magpie and Stump Hotel has seen a lot of faces, a lot of beers and a lot of renovations.
Owners Amanda Henry and Paul Rofenich have transformed the pub since they took over five years ago.
“We had a place in Auburn opposite The Rising Sun which was our weekender that we did up and turned into a B&B and we got to the point where we restored and renovated as much as we could and were looking for our next project,” Ms Henry said.
“We drove up to Mintaro at the time the pub’s doors were being shut and it wasn’t running very well, and then it was our project.”
The couple lived in a caravan as they renovated with teacher Ms Henry commuting to Christies Beach weekly to school before eventually moving into one of the hotel’s rooms.
She said the front bar had to be replaced, along with some flagstones, paint and decoration to create a cosy and inviting pub with tonnes of character.
“Our intent was to make it warm and comfortable and friendly, just like it has been since 1851,” Ms Henry said.
“It’s been a labour of love, we wanted to make it a destination but as authentic as possible.”
Mr Rofenich takes care of the hotel and Ms Henry is a teacher in Burra, though often works in the hotel at night and on weekends.
The German Arms
Location: 69 Mount Barker Rd, Hahndorf
The German Arms is the oldest pub in Hahndorf and has been the quaint town’s meeting place since 1839.
Jason Duffield now owns the pub alongside a few other business partners but he has a long family history with the establishment.
The Duffield family also operates The Haus on Hahndorf’s main strip.
Mr Duffield’s uncle, Robin Duffield, bought it in the 1970s when it was named The Hotel Ambleside.
“Hahndorf changed its name during the war, the pub was previously The German Arms but was changed to The Hotel Ambleside,” Mr Duffield said.
“When my uncle took over, he changed the name back.
“I remember going in as a kid on a Saturday morning and people would be talking horses and racing tips, years later when I went when I was of drinking age and having a beer with my mates my uncle would recite poetry to the audience.”
“We did a full renovation of the hotel, new carpets, lighting and kitchen as well as refurbish the bars,” he said.
“And we’ve got some exciting plans coming up as well.”
The Wellington Hotel
Location: 27 Mason St, Wellington
Affectionately known as The Welly, The Wellington Hotel on the River Murray has been owned by Glen and Kerrie Shipway for 16 years.
The hotel was originally built in 1846, making it one of the oldest in country SA.
When the couple bought it in 2007, they could see a bright future for the place.
“We saw it years and years ago and thought it had a big future so we bought it … it’s a must-visit if you’re down here for sure,” Mrs Shipway said.
“We have a very strong local base and are very busy with water traffic and tourists.”
The Shipways live in the Adelaide Hills but travel weekly to The Welly to help out and to also have a bit of a getaway themselves.
“We wanted to change the atmosphere of the pub, there’s a deck we have now that overlooks the river and we’ve revamped the dining room and landscaped the front,” she said.
With a history spanning nearly 200 years there have been a report or two of ghosts.
“Every old hotel has a ghost, we do have a ghost but I forget his name,” Mrs Shipway joked.
The British Hotel
Location: Cnr North Parade and Nelson St, Port Adelaide
Adding a second British to the list of SA’s oldest pubs is Port Adelaide’s The British Hotel. Business owner and current licensee Ashley Coulls started out in 2014 working as a casual for the pub and over the years climbed up the ranks to eventually take over in September.
Mr Coulls’ main goal is to forge a cosy and family focused reputation for the longstanding pub.
“The pub has a good future, there’s plenty of things happening in the Port,” Mr Coulls said.
“It was one of those venues back in the day that was so well known for being a working men’s pub, but the live music that was put on here every Friday and Saturday night back in the day was fantastic.”
The British Hotel has the oldest continuous licence in Port Adelaide, issued in 1847. It was originally a single story building along the river run by publican James Wakeling.
Now, the building is owned by property developer Hans Ehmann, who has been responsible for numerous redevelopments in Port Adelaide.
Mr Coulls managed the pub under previous owner Bruce McFarlane who oversaw its multimillion-dollar renovation about a decade ago.
“He (Mr McFarlane) was one of a kind. He saw something in me and let me run the hotel and bring it back to what it should be,” he said.
“I’ve put everything into it to try and get it back.”
The Port’s oldest pub is also home to a resident ghost.
“I do believe there is a ghost here, a lot of unexplained things have happened. He’s a resident ghost here but he seems pretty friendly,” he said.
“We’ve actually had ghost hunters here and they set up all their gear and they felt that there is one here, which is pretty cool.”
The Caledonian Inn
Location: 1 Victoria St, Robe
When Geoff and John Prest went surfing as teenagers they frequented The Caledonian Inn in Robe.
Their teenage dream came true in 2015, buying The Callie and bringing it back to it’s former glory.
Since opening, new owners Maurice Honner, Jack Horsnell, Henry Barritt, Henry and Nicki Vietch, Elliott Monfries and Holly Tippler have joined the brothers.
“We’ve got a five year plan now that the young ones will buy us out,” Mr Prest said.
“We are very keen to preserve The Callie, it’s such a magnificent building with a great atmosphere for locals and tourists.”
The brother were carpenters before they were publicans, but their chippie skills came in handy during Covid when they decided to renovate and restore the 165 year old pub.
“We completely gutted the building … we even found wallpaper underneath some panelling we took off and it was Scottish, originally done by the architect or builder back in the 1800s,” Mr Prest said.
“We kept a piece about 10m around the top of one of the walls behind the back bar as a memento to the builder.”
Scotsman Peter McQueen built the building and was also its first licensee when it was a famous horsemen’s hotel.
Mr Prest also owns Drift Cafe and Olives Restaurant surrounding the pub.
The Hagen Arms
Location: 1 Angus Rd, Echunga
In the heart of the Adelaide Hills The Hagen Arms has operated uninterruptedly as a pub since 1848.
Mr Grimley called friend Tim Wilkin, who worked in real estate, to find out if the pub was for sale and just days later they were the owners.
“Its pretty hard to think of yourself as an owner of a place with this much history, especially when it’s such a significant landmark in the community,” Mr Grimley said.
“I prefer to think of ourselves simply the current custodians.”
When Mr Grimley first walked in, he and some friends took every last piece of plaster off the walls with hammer and chisel to expose the original brickwork underneath.
“It’s taken us years to do and I’m super proud of the work we done in bringing the place back to life, albeit I must admit that at times I’ve been much more interested in the building than the business which has caused a few headaches,” he said.
“At the time we purchased it, we were purely winemakers, learning how to maintain a consistent quality proposition and maintain staff has been the biggest challenge.
“We’re not very good publicans, we hacked our way to this point but we’ve found a way to keep our chins up and the beer cold.”
Mr Grimley is managing director of Kikoi, which operate many SA businesses such as skating institution The Daily Grind and wine favourite It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere.
He has also started renovating the General Store in Echunga, adding another heritage building to his portfolio.
The Prairie Hotel
Location: Cnr High St and West Tce, Parachilna
Truly a “taste of the outback”, The Prairie Hotel in Parachilna is owned by locals Jane and Ross Fargher.
Mrs Fargher had a background in hospitality, including some tough drought years on the family’s Nilpena station.
The Prairie was the couple’s local watering hole, and they seized the opportunity to own it for off-station income.
“Our vision for The Prairie is to offer an oasis in the outback, our team extending friendly country hospitality and service, to match great dining experiences, accommodation, and craft brews, a friendly bar, and inspired art gallery collections,” Mrs Fargher said.
The pub has been licensed since 1876 and the Farghers took the reins in 1991. Now, their son Lachy is a brewer there at their Parachilna Brew Project microbrewery, SA’s most remote brewery.
The Farghers also surrendered two thirds of their pastoral lease for the protection of the Edicara fossils.
Mr Fargher is responsible for the discovery and custodianship of the fossils to being protected forever and runs tours to the visitor precinct and fossil fields.
The Prairie is well-known for their Feral Mixed Grill which includes kangaroo, camel, emu and goat meats.
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