Royal Oak Hotel Parramatta closes on January 26
A descendant of the Royal Oak Hotel’s original owner has expressed her heartbreak that the heritage-listed Parramatta pub is being demolished to make way for the light rail.
Parramatta
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It will be a sad final happy hour at the beloved Royal Oak Hotel when mates, publicans and even descendants of the Parramatta watering hole’s founder gather to toast the heritage-listed pub before it is bulldozed to make way for the light rail.
Beer-guzzling regulars, wine swillers, Eels fans, heritage advocates and those with a penchant for pints in old-school pubs will descend on the landmark at the corner of Church and Ross streets for last drinks, fittingly on Australia Day.
For Lorraine George, a slice of her family legacy is being wiped out despite a hard-fought campaign pleading with the State Government to save the pub.
She is the sixth generation niece of Sirius ship First Fleeter William Tunks, whose son John built the Royal Oak, originally named the Shamrock, Rose and Thistle, in 1823.
Author Gary Carter says convict John Metcalf established it as an inn in 1813 before Tunks built and ran what is now one of Australia’s oldest pubs.
Mrs George and her husband Alan, who runs the Tunks Descendants’ Association Facebook page, call Caringbah in the Sutherland Shire home, but have blue and gold hearts.
“Generally I was so disappointed how we’re losing our icons and our history so I have a deep sense of loss over these things,’’ Mrs George, nee Tunks, said.
“I just love every room — I just love the whole ambience of it.”
The Westmead-raised woman is still part of a robust community campaign calling on the government to save the pub by suggesting the relocation of the light rail route to O’Connell St, moving the Royal Oak back and allowing traffic lanes to merge on the tram tracks.
A saving grace is that the pub’s stabling yards, which were used when horse racing was held at Parramatta Park, will remain.
Construction on The Royal Oak’s new home, to be under a 40-unit complex across the road, is under way but Mrs George still holds hope the original building can still stand.
“Even if it’s not a pub, it’s going to be an asset for the community to be used for other things,’’ she said.
The Georges say “pushing the hotel back’’ on the current site would have cost between $2 million and $10 million, a cheaper option compared with selling the landmark for $20 million.
The Royal Oak’s current owner, Ben Kane, has worked there for 12 years since his late stepfather Robbie Walsh took it over after running the neighbouring Tollgate Hotel.
A highlight is serving throngs of Eels supporters who watched the 2009 grand final.
“When they made the grand final, that was our best period ever, and then the Wanderers came, and they won the Asian Championship (in 2014),’’ Mr Kane said.
Most of the time he loved that it remained a community pub.
“People have their own table and their own position,’’ he said.
“They sit in their same spot. It’s very much a local pub.’’
One of those punters is retired solicitor Craig Cockburn, who has chewed the fat with his mates Mark Thompson and seasoned Eels supporter Brian Dudley, at the pub for 20 years.
Mr Cockburn will miss the glory days of musicians performing at the pub.
“The open mic nights, live music, when Robbie was the licensee, they were the great days, just a local where everyone knew each other,’’ he said.
“This is a pub and it included business meetings. It’s not all about the beer and poker machines.’’
Mr Thompson said the new pubs just don’t have the same soul as the Royal Oak, with its fireplace, mahogany counters, mosaic carpet, cosy courtyard and chalkboard specials.
“The problem is they’re only interested in pure profits and the poker machines so they don’t have the atmosphere.’’
Celebrations (or commiserations) start at the Royal Oak on Sunday at 2pm.