Hotels and Growth in Regional Communities: A View from Kiama
About the event
From the first regional venues licenced at the start of the nineteenth century to the present day, hotels have shaped local social life and character. Despite the puritanical attitudes of respectable locals, and strict licencing laws, Kiama was once a place of ‘besotted and shameless drunkards’. Moving beyond the usual stories of male settler drinkers, the presentation will also tell of the opportunities for women and Aboriginal people. About the speakers: Dr Tony Gilmour is Vice President of the Kiama Historical Society and a RAHS Councillor. He escaped from a business career in 2021 and is now a full-time writer. Tony’s recent book, Rascals and Respectables (2025), looked at the social history of a South Coast community through the lens of the licenced trade. It required many research visits to local drinking haunts.
