Dan Lambert's Triumphant return to the Royal

Saturday the 10th October 2010........ 10.10.10.... who would have thought this would have been a special evening. All was quiet at the Royal, a few locals were just finishing a game of billiards over a 28yo Glenbroygle single malt and were thinking about heading off. The live feed from Antwerp diamond exchange was closing for the night and thoughts were turning to home..

That was until the large black tour bus arrived at the Royal, as the dust settled we realised that it was Dan Lambert's tour bus en route between Sydney and Melbourne. The "Pommie in a Pub Tour' had come to town.

Dan and his enterage got off the bus and wowed us with stories of the current world tour. Apparently the Budhakahn has never seen better and Red Rocks has finally been exorcised of the U2 gig. After a bit of encouragement Dan picked up his guitar and let the music flow. please sit back, relax and enjoy the show.

It may make more sense if you watch it laying down??

The Royal Red Deer



The Royal Red Deer



Many people think the stuffed deer head in the bar is a fake or a Tooheys promotion. No, he was real.

Arthur Richardson, a long departed publican struck an acquaintance with Prince Phillip when both men were young just after the war. Arthur was travelling in Scotland and visiting a friend who worked at Balmoral castle. To make a long story short, Arthur met Phillip and a mutual love of hunting found them out on the moors one evening.

Phillips usual batman was ill so Arthur was filling in re-loading the Princes rifles as they hunted. As the sun sank low Phillip spotted a magnificent stag in a clearing just ahead, the men crept up until a clear shot could be taken. As everyone knows a Red Deer in hard antler is a very dangerous animal and will defend its territory to the death if necessary. When the stag got wind of the hunters it charged the Prince who discharged a shot but failed to bring the animal down. Arthur prevented a Royal goreing by firing off a deadly accurate round that felled the beast only feet from the Prince thus saving his life and bagging a 14 pointer into the bargain.

The stags head was stuffed and presented to Arthur for services rendered and has remained on the wall at the Royal ever since. It was said that while the Stag watches over the Bar of the Royal Hotel all will be well with Queen and Empire.

Lost Footage from the Royal

Finally found the last footage from that magical night at the bar when the Three D's played. Now looking for more talent to liven up our days...dont be intimidated. If you are half good we will supply a beer and if you are great we will give you two.

The three D's - Live at the Royal

A home away from home for many major recording stars....and these guys. Dan and Dave and Dan, formed in Feb 2010 played to a sell out crowd and broke up. This is one of only two recording made on  the night of what may have been the greatest musical confluence that the world has ever seen. This gig was so exclusive that we didnt let anyone in, the VIP room was empty and so for that matter was every other room in the Pub. Seriously though, Dave is Canowindra's resident guitar guru (the bugger can play anything), singing Dan is our import from London...a hard rockin', proper tear away who is also a stand out chef  and Dan #2 is another Pom visiting from Sydney who wisely stopped picking vegies and went back to being a carpenter (any resembelane re. the hair and the occupation is purely coincidental)

The Royal Hotel and the Bushrangers 1863

Ben Hall, Frank Gardiner and the Royal Hotel
The first raid on Canowindra occurred on Saturday night, 26 September 1863.

At about 6pm the five bushrangers arrived in Canowindra...At half past seven, Constable Sykes, who had been making his way down town, unarmed and unsuspecting, was “stuck up” by the bushrangers. He was kept at Robinson’s Inn (the site of the present day Royal Hotel) under the eye of Gilbert and company, until five o’clock the next morning.

Soon after the arrival of the bushrangers there began at the public house what The Bathurst Times described as “quite a jollification”.

The bushrangers paid for all they drank at the hotel and Gilbert, a man of “irrepressible good humour and witty speech”, is said to have “kept the company in roars of laughter”…

At five in the morning the men left the inn, had two hours sleep in a nearby paddock and rode away at 8am, taking a valuable horse of Robinson’s with them.

On Sunday 11 October, at about 8pm, the five members of the gang rode back into Canowindra. Hall and Gilbert took possession of Robinson’s Inn and bailed up the landlord and those in the house. They searched the premises for money and took any notes they found but left all the silver. After the search, Vale, O’Meally and Burke arrived and Gilbert stood drinks for everyone there… A few hours later they told Robinson they intended to hold up the entire town.

The following morning, the gang stationed themselves to guard the approaches to the town. All who came along, townspeople and travellers alike, were brought to the hotel until, at the end of the bushrangers’ three day stay, the company numbered about forty people. Outside the hotel were tied up the horses, drays, teams and carriages of those taken into custody.

On the third day the gang left town, but maintained a watch on the town from a rise nearby, probably what is known today as Blue Jacket Hill. As they left, they took another of Robinson’s horses, but it, like all the rest, was returned a few days later.

From The Sydney Mail, 17 Oct 1963;

“Gilbert’s gang have held the town of Canowindra for three days, bailing up and detaining everybody that passed during that time, till at length they had about forty prisoners. The bushrangers made themselves agreeable by treating everyone…”

A Bit about the Royal

The Royal Hotel is in Gaskill St in the heart of Canowindra in the Central West of NSW. We are a 4hr drive from Sydney and 2.5 from Canberra. Orange is 45 minutes away. Canowindra is a farming community; mainly broadacre farmers with a mix of stock and cropping. There is a sizeable vineyard industry around town and some very nice wines produced, we also have a thriving horticultural sector producing vegies.

The Royal was built in 1910 (hey, its our birthday) when the railway came to town. It was built on the site of a previous Hotel which had occupied the site from the 1830's. We are Canowindra's Oldest Pub Site, the largest Hotel in Canowindra and the site of the famous hold up by Ben Hall and Frank Gardiners gang in the 1860's.

Sally's Bistro is open Tuesday to Sunday, serving great country meals in the beautifully decorated dining room (Sal's own touches). Bookings are essential on Friday and Saturday nights and large groups and functions can be easilly catered for at short notice. Sal also does counter meals around the Main Bar.

We have the ability to sleep 30 or more guests in our various accomodation rooms. This is classic country pub accommodation, bathroom down the hall. Most rooms could be described as 'traditional minimalist', the one thing they do have is very comfortable Queen size posturpedic beds, guaranteeing a good nights sleep.

Rooms start at $30 per night and longer term occupancy can be arranged. Larger groups can be looked after like family.

Our beer garden and courtyard are a cool oasis on a hot summers day and one of Canowindra's favourite spots for a cold beer after a hard days work or play. Kids are welcome in these un-restricted areas but must be accompanied by an adult at all times.

We have been known to fill the courtyard with sand and hold mid-summer beach parties. Its a great spot to put some live entertainment on the weekends.
To contact the Royal call us of 02 63441201, we are generally open by lunch time and close whenever we run out of patrons. Dont try looking for a web site or an email address as we are not that organised...yet.

All the best, JA

Even Song

Canowindra must be a very religious town. Hardly saw anyone today (Sunday) until later in the afternoon when the boys assured me that even song had finished and they were good for a quick couple of middies before dinner.

The weather's cold, it can't decide if it wants to rain again or possibly snow. Thank god that the open fire is roaring and the bar is warm. You can't quite see the couch in front of the fire but I assure you it is a great place to grab a quick nanna nap between serving all our customers (who had obviously all piled outside for a quick leak when this photo was taken)
Only just learning how this blog stuff works. bear with me, I hope to get better.
jamie