Australia Day banned at 90 Qld pubs owned by Aust Venue Co

The hospitality giant that banned Australia Day celebrations at its more than 200 pubs nationwide, including 90 in Queensland, has apologised. VOTE IN OUR POLL

Brisbane’s Regatta Hotel is one of the pubs banning Australia Day celebrations.

• ‘Fools’: Australia Day war of words

Australian Venue Co has apologised a day after it announced it was banning Australia Day celebrations at more than 200 pubs and bars nationwide – nearly half in Queensland – because “the day causes sadness and hurt for some patrons”.

The nation’s second-biggest pubs group, Australian Venue Co, had informed managers there would be no celebrating or acknowledging of the day at their premises in 2025.

On Monday, the business issued an apology for its comments, saying it wasn’t meant to offend and that the remarks had created “concern and confusion”.

“We sincerely regret that – our purpose is to reinforce community in our venues, not divide it,” the company said in a statement on Monday.

“It is not for us to tell anyone whether or how to celebrate Australia Day.

“We acknowledge that and we apologise for our comments. It certainly wasn’t our intention to offend anyone.”

In a statement it said everyone was welcome “in our pubs, always”. “We have been, and are always, open over Australia Day and we continue to book events for patrons.”

Some of the pubs affected in Queensland are the Waterford and Everton Park, Boundary, Wickham and Regatta hotels.

The brand is also responsible for venues including Friday’s Riverside in Brisbane and Lulu Rooftop Bar on the Gold Coast.

On Sunday an Australian Venue Co spokeswoman said it celebrated what made Australia great in its venues throughout the year.

“Australia Day is a day that causes sadness for some members of our community, so we have decided not to specifically celebrate a day that causes hurt for some of our patrons and our team,” she said.

Australia Day cockroach racing at The Story Bridge Hotel. Picture: David Clark

The owner of Brisbane’s Normanby Hotel, Sam Ingham-Myers, said he was disappointed other Brisbane venues had banned Australia Day events.

“It’s a fantastic day to celebrate and embrace everything that Australia is about,” Mr Ingham-Myers said. “We’re all very lucky to live here,” he said.

A “four-day festival” at The Normanby will include Australian food, live music and other surprises.

Mr Ingham-Myers said he was expecting more than 1,000 patrons each day.

“There is always plenty of space for everyone, we do this everyday,” he said. “We have lots of surprises and we’re very excited to celebrate at this historic and beautiful venue,” he said.

Story Bridge Hotel manager Jeremy Gregson said their celebrations would continue as usual.

“It’s usually a great turn out, last year we had nearly 2,000 people,” Mr Gregson said.

“We shut down the car park and Deacon Street for more room for racing cockroaches, outdoor bars and a famous coin game.

“We’ve done this annually for so many years and next year will be the same,” he said.

Australian Venue Co owns at least 90 venues in Queensland, almost 60 in Victoria, almost 20 in South Australia and 10 in Sydney.

It will still be party time at the Story Bridge Hotel. Picture: David Clark

Its ban on Australia Day celebrations is the latest in a string of organisations, including Woolworths, abandoning the national day.

Australia Day marks the arrival of the First Fleet on January 26, 1788 and the raising of the Union Jack in Sydney Cove by Arthur Phillip.

But protesters claim it is a day of mourning for Indigenous Australians because it celebrates colonialism and genocide.

Indigenous leader Warren Mundine said the nonsense that went on in these “woke” companies was becoming a joke.

“The real reason is they just hate the country,” Mr Mundine said.

“They hate Australians, they hate Australia, and that’s why they do these things.

“Don’t bother about having a drink in their venues, piss these bastards off.

“Let’s all just go down to the beach, chuck a lamb on the barbie with a few sausages, and get some takeaway from a (venue) that actually cares about this country – not a hater of Australians – and we’ll have a great time.”

Wurundjeri elder Ian Hunter said the decision was condescending.

Mr Hunter said his family and people in remote communities celebrated Australia Day by playing football and having barbecues.

“It’s the urban lefties … the white people (that) are pushing for this,” he said.

“It is condescending, they think we are doing the best thing for Indigenous peoples.”

The ban on Australia Day celebrations is the latest in a string of organisations, including Woolworths and Aldi, abandoning the national day.

Former Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett described the Australian Venue Co decision as “extraordinary” and “divisive’’.

“They are totally out of touch with the community,’’ he said.

“If no one wants to participate in Australia Day celebrations at one of their venues that would be fine.

“But have they learnt nothing from the Woolworths mistake?’’

Premier David Crisafulli said he would be spending Australia Day in Townsville at the state’s official event.

Warren Mundine called on Australians to boycott the pubs. Picture: NewsWire/ Richard Gosling

“I’ll be reflecting on all that is good about our country and the cultures that make it so great,” he said.

“I’m urging Queenslanders to do the same.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has repeatedly rejected calls to change the date.

More than 80 councils nationwide have canned citizenship ceremonies on Australia Day.

But Opposition immigration spokesman Dan Tehan last year promised that a future Coalition government would force councils to hold them on Australia Day.

Woolworths and Aldi’s decision this year to no longer stock Australia Day merchandise was met with calls to boycott the major supermarket chains.

In the past few years, Cricket Australia and Tennis Australia have also refused to celebrate, and Melbourne’s Australia Day march was banned, leaving ‘Invasion Day’ protesters to take to the streets.

AUSTRALIAN VENUE CO’S QLD PROPERTIES

Airlie Beach Hotel

Barron River Hotel

Beenleigh Tavern

Berserker Tavern

Birkdale Gardens Tavern

Bonny View Hotel

Boomerang Hotel

Bribie Island Hotel

Brighton Hotel

Browns Plains Hotel

Burleigh Town Hotel

Cannon Hill Tavern

Capella Hotel

Carindale Hotel

Chancellors Tavern

Cleveland Sands Hotel

Cleveland Tavern

Club Hotel Waterford

Commercial Hotel, Clermont

Commonwealth Hotel, Innisfail

Commonwealth Hotel, Roma

Coomera Lodge Hotel

Crown Hotel, Lutwyche

Currimundi Hotel

Diamonds Kallangur

Diamonds Tavern Varsity Lakes

Dunwoody’s Hotel

Empire Alternacade & Events

Enigma

Everton Park Hotel

Ferry Road Tavern

Finn McCool’s Brisbane

Finnigan’s Chin Keperra

Fitzy’s Loganholme

Fitzy’s Waterford

Friday’s

Grafton Hotel Edmonton

Grand Hotel Motel, Clermont

Hey Chica

Hope Island Tavern

Hotel Allen

Hotel HQ Underwood

Inala Hotel

Jindalee Hotel

Jubilee Tavern

Kings Beach Tavern

Koala Tavern, Capalaba

Kooyong Hotel

Lefty’s Music Hall

Leichhardt Hotel

Lulu Rooftop Bar

Mango Hill Tavern

Mansfield Tavern Brisbane

Mihi Tavern

Morayfield Tavern

Mount Sheridan Tavern

Newnham Hotel

Old Bundy Tavern

Palm Cove Tavern

Port Office Hotel

Portadown Hotel

Redcliffe Tavern

Reef Gateway Hotel

Regatta Hotel

Retro’s Brisbane

Riverland Brisbane

Royal Hotel Nundah

Royal Mail Hotel

Runaway Bay Tavern

Salisbury Hotel

Sands Tavern

Springlake Hotel

Sundowner Hotel Motel

Surfair Beach Hotel

Taigum Tavern

The Anthill

The Boundary Hotel

The Club Hotel Gladstone

The Commonwealth Hotel Roma

The Kenmore

The Local Tavern

The Lord Alfred Hotel

The Mansfield Townsville

The Metropolitan Hotel

The Ox

The Strand Hotel

The White Bull Tavern

The Wickham

Tom’s Tavern

Trinity Beach Tavern

Wallaby Hotel

Waterloo Hotel

Woodpecker Bar & Grill

Originally published as Australia Day banned at 90 Qld pubs owned by Aust Venue Co