A one pub City

We are sometimes asked why there is only one pub in Burnside, when neighbouring councils have many more. A little research in the Library’s History Room uncovered some interesting facts.

Many of the early European arrivals to Burnside were Protestant dissenters who were mostly teetotallers, explaining why there were relatively few hotels originally built in the area.

Those that were built were placed in locations with naturally running water (creeks), to provide water supply to travellers, and also served aerated waters.

The water was often contaminated so despite the moral stance on alcohol, beer was always popular as a way to avoid drinking the water. It was also common, in the early days of liquor licensing, for hotels not to be purpose built but rather were private houses that the owner had received a licence to sell liquor from.

In 1849 the first Burnside hotel, the Turf Hotel, was built on the corner of Glen Osmond and Greenhill Road. At that time the Victoria Park Racecourse was located at the southern end of the parklands and the hotel was in a prime location – on a busy intersection and overlooking the course.

It later became the Parkside Hotel and in the 20s it was a common sight to see jockeys exercising horses just across the road.

The Turf was demolished in the mid-1990s and replaced by a fast food outlet, but for a short time it was one of two hotels in Burnside – the other the Burnside Inn. Built in 1853 in High Street, Burnside, it later became the Burnside Hotel until its closure in 1909.

In 1966 a new hotel was built on the site of an old wine saloon on the corner of Glynburn Road and John Street, known as The Feathers Hotel. At the time the nearby residents would only agree to the building of the hotel if it did not look like a hotel!

After the closure of the Turf, The Feathers Hotel became, and remains, the only hotel in the City of Burnside.

(Select the title of this story to see the photographs)