Queensland’s oldest pub!

Operating since 1863. We had lunch there yesterday! After leaving Toogoolawah. Conclusion: average pub fare!

There’s a good story about the publican at the Toogoolawah pub back in the day of steam trains. He’d apparently been drinking at the Esk pub (the one they later dragged up the hill) and was going to catch the last train home.

He offered the train driver and engineer a bottle of rum if could travel up front and drive the train. They agreed.

The local police caught wind of this and stopped the train at the next town. The driver and engineer were fined 20 shillings each for allowing an unlicensed person to drive the train.

As it turns out the last train trip was always done on overtime, and they were due an extra 25 shillings for the trip.

In the end, the police made a booking, the publican had driven the train and the railwaymen decided 5 shillings and a bottle of rum was still a fair payment for the evening! Everyone was happy!