By MICK ROBERTS ©.
IT’S difficult to imagine how The Beaches at Thirroul would have looked during the 1970s and 80s.
Colleen and Barry Gilbert transformed the pub, then known locally as The Rex, into one of Illawarra’s best houses of entertainment and hospitality in 1999.
Originally opened as the Thirroul Rex Hotel by pub chain company Rex Investments in 1953, The Beaches is a far cry from the male dominated watering hole.
The history of the hotel unfortunately stems from the misfortunes of a NSW rural town.
The 1950s was the beginning of the demise of many a country pub. The bush was well catered for when it came to pubs, but times were a changing.
The 50s and 60s saw the growth of registered clubs and a mass exodus of country folk, especially the young, to the lure of the larger coastal cities. The Illawarra, with its huge…
View original post 619 more words
The Bulli & Clifton Times 
Discussion
No comments yet.