Home away from home: a deep dive on what makes a pub, a pub

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I have celebrated countless birthdays and mourned one death at the pub. I have met new babies and commiserated breakups. I’ve attended leaving parties and homecomings, nursed hangovers and created new ones, completed crosswords on a sunny afternoon and watched football (the proper kind, where you use your feet) til the wee hours, all at the pub. My first date with my now fiancé was at a pub.

The pub is part of the social fabric of Australia – an agnostic gathering place in a society where third spaces are harder and harder to come by. “Public houses are for everyone,” says proprietor of The Lincoln in Carlton, Iain Ling (affectionately known as Lingy in true publican fashion), and it’s true.

“Traditionally pubs were homes away from home for people passing through; then a hub to meld with a new community; now a meeting place for friends and family,” says Jaine Eira, general manager of Fitzroy’s Catfish. “It’s where you go to sit at the bar and chat to your friendly local publican.”

Nick Selvadurai, group cocktails and spirits manager for pub-owning behemoth Australian Venue Co., concurs. “Pubs capture what Australian culture is all about — it’s like an extra room in our home, reflecting our friendly and hospitable nature.”

The versatility of the pub is nothing new. Australia’s oldest continuous licence (held by the Hope & Anchor Tavern in Hobart) was granted in 1807 – British colonists, priorities in order, wasted very little time in importing their pub culture from the UK. Pubs were multi-purpose in these fledgling communities, serving booze of course but also hearty meals, providing rooms for travellers and often functioning as the post office or even general store.

According to Professor Clare Wright, professor of history at LaTrobe University and author of ‘Beyond the Ladies Lounge’, women actually played a bigger part in pub culture than one might imagine thanks to legislative phrasing unique to Australia — from the get go, licences could be given to ‘him or her’. 

“This is specifically because colonial authorities wanted to encourage women to go into the industry, because in a male-dominated penal society it was considered that women would have the most propensity to control male behaviour, and be the most trustworthy,” she explains. The only type of licence available was the Public House, and the Public House had to provide accommodation and meals. “Women were built into the system because at the time they were considered to be the ones that were domestic housekeepers.

“My research shows that by the end of the nineteenth century, hotel keeping in Australia was decidedly a girls’ club. Early pubs reflected this, they very often had soft furnishings and paintings on the wall, vases full of flowers.” In a society where men vastly outnumbered women, the pub was somewhere they could go for some home comforts, and they were places that women also felt comfortable to frequent.

In 1916, though, the powers that be adopted a policy that backfired spectacularly (what a surprise when it comes to alcohol-related legislation!): they decided to close the pubs at 6pm. The ‘six o’clock swill’, as it was known, encouraged an hour of binge drinking between knocking off at 5pm and closing time that would put bartenders rushing to make last call at the Black Pearl to shame. The vases of flowers disappeared, and those tiled frontages on old pubs? Cute, of course, but also much easier to wash bodily effluence from.

Unenthused by the idea of being pissed on, women were sequestered in Ladies Lounges (if they were there at all) and so pubs became segregated. This ushered in an era of hard-drinking, hyper-masculine pubs where pokies proliferated and the publican would have looked at you as if you had two heads if you tried to order a cocktail. 

Over the past few decades, as Australia’s cities’ inner suburbs have become more affluent and our foodie scene has expanded, pubs have reprised their original role as community and cultural hubs. Gentrification may have much to answer for, but the reclamation of the pub for all genders and generations has to be marked as a positive.

But, what makes a pub a pub? Is any venue in an old pub building automatically a pub? And on the flipside, can a pub be created anywhere? 

“Pubs come in all shapes and sizes,” says Lingy, “That’s one of the great things about them – you very rarely see two the same. Pubs can be created, but everyone has a different vision of what makes a pub.” He cites Caretaker’s Cottage, not situated in a pub building and which regularly receives accolades more usually bestowed on cocktail bars. “It’s an old building but a new product with genuinely warm service. You always feel welcome there even if the place is packed to the rafters,” and this is key to its qualification as a pub in Lingy’s eyes.

Jaine does have some stricter stipulations for inherent pubbiness: “a pub is where you go for a beer and a feed, so beer fonts and a full kitchen are vital.” But the atmosphere is the main thing. “It’s casual, friendly, somewhere you can go at any time.”

This sentiment is echoed by Lingy. “Walking into a pub and feeling instantly at ease is important, seeing other guests who you associate with, having tables unset so you don’t instantly feel like you have to order food. Having staff acknowledge you but also not hassle you too much while you get yourself settled.” 

In return, patrons should help create a safe and respectful environment – these are family friendly spaces, after all. “Your behaviour in the pub as a guest is what pays for your social membership,” Lingy summarises.

Versatility is key for Nick. “A pub is more than just the building it is in. A pub is somewhere with a casual atmosphere and great guest experiences that also has different spaces and offerings for the entire community to enjoy. I look at it based on how many types of experiences I can have in one spot: a hearty pub meal, well executed cocktails, cold beers, live entertainment, a sit-down family dinner or a high energy beer garden to enjoy with friends.”

It’s this attitude that has helped Australian Venue Co. revitalise St. Kilda institution the Esplanade. First renovated by the Sand Hill Road group, it is now a multi-level Mecca encompassing a high-end cocktail bar and Italian American and Cantonese restaurants alongside the more traditional pub offerings of beer and sports in the Public Bar, live music in the Gershwin room and open mic nights in the Basement. The Espy couldn’t survive on old rockers alone, and broadening its appeal has allowed it to flourish while retaining the history of the building.

The Catfish is not in an old corner pub building, but you wouldn’t call it anything else. Alongside a stellar craft beer offering, you’ll find an array of local live entertainment. “Kieran and Michael [the owners] prize relationships above all else, so naturally gravitate towards local and independent. The hospitality industry, and arts industries such as live music and stand-up comedy, thrive on reciprocation. We’re all willing to bend a little to support each other.” They reflect the culture of the buzzy Fitzroy community they serve – this is the pub where I learned how to head bang.

“Good Australian pubs are going through a golden age,” asserts Lingy, “with minimum barriers to entry, a sharp focus on good quality products, wine lists, beer and service. That, and a more relaxed attitude to life have all improved pub offerings and made them more desirable for people choosing where to spend their spare dollars.” The Lincoln may have received a Good Food Guide hat, and I can attest that you can spend plenty of money there if you want, but the important thing is that you don’t have to. 

So really, while there are some rough parameters, the pub cannot be defined by building or offering; only by accessibility, versatility, and soul. 

Recently my sister-in-laws returned from an emotionally draining trip overseas. “How are you?” someone asked in the family group chat. “Do you want to stay in or do you just want to go to the pub?” 

Because, as Jaine so succinctly put it, “going to the pub is like coming home.”