Pub's run-in with 11-week brewery strike

Which historic Gympie pub has been owned and operated by the same family for nearly 50 years?

EARLY DAYS: The Victory Hotel Gympie , in 1911, when it was on Cootharaba Rd. It was moved to Bath Terrace in about 1930. Picture: Contributed

THE Victory Hotel, on the eastern edge of town, was built in 1911.

Bullocks moved it from Cootharaba Rd to where it now stands on Bath Tce in about 1930.

The typical Queensland style hotel has been in the same family for the past four decades, making it one of the longest privately owned hotels in Queensland.

An adjoining track of land became part of the complex in 2009, expanding it from nine units to 26.

The previous owners, the late Margaret and Ray Bellotti, bought the Victory in the 1970s.

It was the decade of the statewide brewery strike that lasted 11 weeks.

In The Gympie Times in 2003, Mrs Bellotti gave an insight into the 1978 strike that tested the palates of Queenslanders, when a variety of nondescript beers from around the country were all that were available.

Many hotels closed their doors and finances were stretched for many publicans.

Mrs Bellotti said publicans did everything they could to get supplies during the strike, including buying beer at bottle shop prices from New South Wales.

"I drove to Armidale in a ute to get a load of beer and another time I towed a horse float to a transport depot at Logan, south of Brisbane, to pick up supplies from South Australia. It was all in cans and you just took whatever you could get," Mrs Bellotti said in the 2003 article.

Mrs Bellotti said in her time in the Victory Hotel there were a few beer strikes during the years Mrs Bellotti owned the Victory but the 1978 one was by far the worst.

And, it could not have come at a worse time as Mrs Bellotti had just put down $30,000 to buy the freehold of the hotel, with bank provided finance.

"The bank manager was beside himself - in those days it was a lot of money to lend a woman," she said.

"He'd come out and stand in the corner of the bar and watch and I'm sure he was saying to himself 'how is this woman ever going to pay this loan'?

"The only meals we had were hot chickens then and we sold about 300 a week. I really feel that is what kept us out of bankruptcy."

FRIENDLY PUB: Venue manager Donna Ferguson and duty manager Cheryl Birmingham serve a loyal customer at the bar. Picture: Contributed

These days the historical country pub still draws in loyal customers with its old charm and friendly service.

Venue manager Donna Ferguson said remaining in the Belotti family for so long has meant the hotel has kept up its good name.

"There are not many establishments that have been in the same family for close to 50 years," Mrs Ferguson said.

"A lot of people who walk in here say it's a good old country pub; you just don't see them like this any more."

THE GYMPIE TIMES

December 13, 1906

A letter to the editor extract

It is really surprising, Mr Editor, to see how things have gone ahead in this district the last few years.

Now the area is mostly taken up of cleared and cultivated fields and vineyards with nice comfortable homes.

And now Mr Editor, what do you think - there is not a public house in all this area.

Can you believe it?

Some people would tell us a public house is a necessity to a successful, prosperous, go-ahead community, but Deep Creek friends don't think so.

Recently, our licensing bench in their wisdom saw fit to grant a licence to a house on the road to this part (although in opposition to the wishes of the majority of the residents in the near neighbourhood and

also Deep Creek), and this house is named the Victory; it is rightly named, for it is gaining a far worse victory over some of its supporters than over the Temperance party.

- From a correspondent

THE GYMPIE TIMES

March 1913

NOTES AND NEWS

A serious accident befell the youngest child of Mr. H.A.Harvey, of the Victory Hotel, Cootharaba Road, on Thursday morning.

A mixture of toxi-tic and sugar was standing in a saucer for the purpose of killing flies, and the little tot, who is about one year old, ate some of it, and was soon in a very serious condition from the effects of

the poison.

Dr. Nicoll was summoned and adopted remedial measures, and after some time the little sufferer was pronounced out of danger.

Upon enquiry last night, we were informed that the child was progressing favourably.

THE GYMPIE TIMES

December 9, 1913

A repetition of peculiar outbreaks of fire in the Victory Hotel, Enterprise Road about four months ago, occurred on Saturday.

Several alarming outbreaks occurred in the afternoon in different parts of the hotel.

While the proprietor (Mr Alf Harvey), with Mr Ewald, Mr Harvey Snr and others were engaged in putting out a grass fire near the hotel, after having assisted at the fire at Hanney's some distance away, an alarm was given by hotel employee Miss B O'Neill that No 4 room was on fire.

The first fire in the hotel was promptly extinguished by 4.30pm, it is stated, with no fewer than four other outbreaks occurring in the hotel.

Fire Brigade Superintendent Mr W J Smith was communicated with and he examined every room, expressing the opinion that it was impossible for sparks from the bush fire to cause the outbreaks in so many different parts of the hotel interior.

Curiously, one occurred in a closed tin box containing clothing.

While Mr Smith was still on the premises, at 5.55pm, a sixth outbreak took place in the children's room, where a kapok mattress was alight and extinguished by Mr Smith.

The police were then communicated with and Mounted Constable Dickson was sent to investigate.