Bairnsdale: Era ends with demolition of Imperial Hotel
Last drinks have been had at a Bairnsdale pub, which has been battling floodwaters for more than 130 years. Find out what has happened.
A pub in East Gippsland that survived floods dating back to the late 1800s has been demolished.
It is located near the Mitchell River bridge and encountered its first big flood in the late 1890s after being built 20 years earlier and initially known as the Bridge Hotel.
The demolition job was carried out by Eastern Victorian Construction Group on behalf of new owners who are believed to be from Bairnsdale.
Two former Imperial publicans, Wayne Morris and Greg Bull, suspect the soon to be vacant land will form part of road upgrade works in the area with the new owners yet to reveal future plans.
Mr Morris had the pub between 1990 and 1998 and never encountered a flood.
“I missed one by three months when I started and another by six months when I finished,” he said.
Floodwaters rose to the pub roof in 1936 and other big floods were in 1952, 1978 and 1988.
Mr Morris said pool and darts competitions were popular during his time, with the Imperial also a sponsor of the Lucknow football and cricket clubs.
“They were my niche because it was never a food pub,” he said.
“They were generally younger blokes and liked to have a beer.
“It’s really sad to see it demolished.
“The old stalwarts, if they were still alive, would be devastated seeing it gone.”
Mr Bull, who operated the pub with his brother Ian, copped a flood in 2007 and had to shut for four days.
“It came in and went about nine inches up the wall,” Mr Bull said.
“It wasn’t a really big one, but it was big enough to leave a big mess and the mud was just terrible.
“We knew it was coming and we had a lot of regulars who were down there early to give us a hand to lift everything up.
“I’ve lived in the Bairnsdale area all my life and to be licensee of my local pub was a great thing.
“We had a great four years before the economic climate beat us in the end.”
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