The pub featured in Baz Luhrmann's movie Australia (2008) was the Grand View Hotel in Bowen, Queensland, Australia. While other iconic pubs like the Walkabout Creek Hotel (from Crocodile Dundee) or the Nindigully Pub were also used for other films, the Grand View Hotel in Bowen stood in for the Darwin pub in Australia, doubling as a historical waterfront location.
Baz Luhrmann's film Australia was filmed across diverse locations in Australia, primarily focusing on the stunning landscapes of Western Australia's Kimberley region (like Carlton Hill, Kununurra), the Northern Territory (Darwin), and Queensland (Bowen, Roma), with some studio work in Sydney (Fox Studios) and heritage sites like Camelot in New South Wales for English mansion scenes.
The Nindigully Pub is owned by the Burns family, led by Steve Burns, who took over in 2002 and transformed the historic establishment into a thriving outback destination known for its accommodation, giant burgers, and annual pig races that support the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
For many, the outback pub is famous for its featured role in the 1986 film Crocodile Dundee. But for locals in the tiny town of McKinlay, just over 200 kilometres from Mount Isa, it is the pub, the bottle-o, the caravan park and the post office. And now, after being on the market since 2022, it has changed hands.
While there's no single "most" iconic pub, Australia's outback pubs like the Birdsville Hotel (legendary outback experience) and Silverton Hotel (famous filming location) are top contenders, alongside historic city pubs like Sydney's Fortune of War, but the title often goes to the Birdsville Hotel for embodying the quintessential remote Aussie pub spirit, especially for 4x4 enthusiasts.
Bruce Springsteen's favorite bar, often mentioned in connection with his Dublin visits, is The Long Hall on South Great George's Street, an iconic Victorian pub where they even keep a special bottle of Red Breast whiskey for him behind the bar. He frequently stops by the historic pub, which is a known haunt for rock stars, on his trips to Dublin.
Australia's oldest pub title is contested, but often goes to The Macquarie Arms Hotel (Windsor, NSW, 1815) for oldest mainland pub built as an inn, or The Hope and Anchor Tavern (Hobart, TAS, 1807) for oldest license, though with closure periods, while the Bush Inn (New Norfolk, TAS, 1825) claims oldest continuous operation.
We then visit the North Kapunda Hotel | Australia's most haunted pub. The Hotel opened in November 1849 as the North Kapunda Arms, Garland Ox in 1853 and renamed the North Kapunda Hotel in 1856.
Yes, Crocodile Dundee was filmed extensively in Australia, showcasing iconic locations in the Northern Territory (Kakadu National Park, Gunlom Falls, Ubirr) and Queensland (the real-life Walkabout Creek Hotel in McKinlay) for its famous outback scenes, with New York City serving as the other main setting.
🍻The iconic outback pub showcased in the classic Australian film, Crocodile Dundee, has been sold to a young local couple for an undisclosed amount. 👏 The Walkabout Creek Hotel, located in McKinlay in North West Queensland, has spent three years on the market.
Ed Sheeran owns a private pub at his Suffolk estate called The Lancaster Lock, named after his mother and wife's maiden names, and also co-owns a public bar in London called Bertie Blossoms with his manager, which is more of a gastro-pub and restaurant. He's also created themed pop-up pubs, like "The Old Phone Pub," for events.
Mick Molloy's pub is the Hotel Railway in Brunswick, Melbourne, a revitalized historic pub with a Mediterranean-inspired fit-out, large beer garden, dining room, and late-night vinyl bar, featuring Middle Eastern/Mediterranean food and serving as his first hospitality venture with the Riverland Group. After a significant refurbishment, it reopened in March 2022, blending traditional charm with modern elements, and is known for its diverse offerings and focus on quality pub food with a twist.
While there isn't one single owner with the absolute most pubs nationwide, Australian Venue Co (AVC) operates the largest portfolio of venues (over 200 pubs, bars, and restaurants). In terms of individual publicans, Justin Hemmes (Merivale) is a major player in Sydney, while the Laundy family, the Solomon family, and Bruce Mathieson/Tomsic (PubCo/Mathieson stake) are also significant forces in the industry, though some control large estates via property or stakes rather than direct single ownership of every pub.
While there are inaccuracies late in the film Luhrmann shows Japanese forces on Australian soil, which did not actually occur, and creates a fictional “Missionary Island” where aboriginal children were taken, implicitly to serve as the first Japanese targets—these are liberties permitted an artist.
Brandon Walters (born 16 January 1996) is an Indigenous Australian actor known for his performance as Nullah in the 2008 film Australia.
The highest-grossing Australian movie at the Australian box office is Crocodile Dundee (1986), holding the record for decades with over A$47 million, followed by films like Australia, Babe, and Elvis. It's also considered the highest-grossing Australian film worldwide.
Paul Hogan has faced health issues, primarily a benign growth called retroperitoneal fibrosis, which wrapped around his aorta near his kidney, causing muscle shrinkage and significant body fat loss, leaving him feeling "feeble". While treatments helped, they led to frailty, requiring a pacemaker for heart/kidney issues and sometimes a wheelchair, though he's shown resilience and reported improving strength at various times, says 7NEWS and New Idea.
Paul Hogan was around 46 years old when the first Crocodile Dundee movie was released in 1986, as he was born on October 8, 1939.
Along with Mr Fox, fellow underwater film pioneers Ron and Valerie Taylor were recruited by Spielberg to shoot scenes showing real sharks at Danger Reefs, off the coast of South Australia's Eyre Peninsula.
Australia's loneliest pub is often considered the William Creek Hotel in South Australia, located in the vast outback on the Oodnadatta Track and known for its extreme isolation and status as an iconic remote watering hole, though other contenders for remoteness or "loneliness" include the Betoota Hotel (a pub without a town) and pubs like the Birdsville Hotel or Daly Waters Pub.
Picton, a historic spot less than a 1.5-hour drive from Sydney, is renowned as Australia's most haunted town. With Halloween around the corner, it's the perfect opportunity for a quick drive out of town with the horror enthusiast in your life. You'll find this spooky town just 80km from Sydney.
The Birdsville Hotel is quintessentially Australian, and arguably the country's most legendary outback pub. Established in 1884, these sandstone walls have been housing guests bouncing along Queensland's dusty outback tracks for over 130 years.
10 secret Sydney spots you might have all to yourself
Standing at just 144cm x 134cm the bar of the Oasis Roadhouse at Lynd Junction, Nth QLD is the smallest in Australia.
Even if a beer sits on the shelf for years, as long as it's sealed, it's unlikely to make you sick. Even with that good news, there are a couple of rare situations where you'll have to throw out an old bottle or can. For starters, if you notice that your beer has lost all its fizz, it's a no-go.