INNISFAIL'S Crown Hotel made it into The Cairns Post numerous times at the start of last century, when the former owners appeared in court on charges of watering down bottles of whisky, rum and bourbon.

Reports from the 1920s show, despite fines of £10 and costs, the practice didn’t stop for about 10 years,
with dozens of mentions about the then infamous owners.

These days The Crown Hotel is more famous as a place to party, with something happening every night of the week, apart from Sunday.

And the drinks are full strength, in case you are wondering.

There are pool and darts competitions, Legally Blonde Karaoke on a Wednesday, poker tournaments and, on Friday and Saturday night, DJs spin the latest sounds until late.

The pub is almost 100 years old and integral to Innisfail nightlife.

It’s part of a trio of venues locals called The Triangle, and you have to do the rounds of them during a night on the town, according to a man known as “Bill”.

“You start your night at The Impy (Imperial Tavern) on the Esplanade, then hit The Crown and, if you haven’t had too much to drink and you feel like dancing some more, you head to Rumours nightclub until about 3am,” he says.

“I love it here best, and no one’s paying me to say that.

“We all sit back here and relax, stare at each other a bit and crack up laughing.

“It doesn’t matter what colour you are, white, black, yellow, heck you could probably bring your dog in here the owners are so friendly.

“We are here for the same thing, to relax with a drink. People like you for who you are, not what you have.”

Current owners Max and Georgina Wallis bought the hotel five years ago on a whim.

Despite plans to retire soon after, they are still to be found at the pub almost every day.

“We came to Innisfail to see Max’s daughter and walked in and fell in love,” Georgina says.

“It was up for sale and that was that, it was ours.”

The plan was to retire a couple of years after buying the place but with a drive‑through bottle-o attached, a motel out back, backpacker accommodation upstairs, a restaurant and gaming they admit that is fairly unlikely.

“It’s more like 18‑hour days with everything that goes on here,” Georgina says.

And life at the pub may get busier with the karaoke night spawning a new project starting on June 16 – Innisfail’s Got Talent.

Singing seems to be in the pub’s blood, says Max: “Anyone who can sing, dance, whatever can come along.”

There is nothing better to do on a rainy day, according to Elaine Mothe, a woman with a smile so infectious you can’t help but grin too.

“It’s a great place for a yarn and there is always time for that,” she says.

Reigning supreme

• Dairy cattle were sold out the back of the pub, which had its own sale yards back in the early 1900s.

• The early owners faced court numerous times for watering down alcohol, letting people drink in the pub after it had closed and for “serving alcohol to Aboriginals”, The Cairns Post reported. Illegal gambling was also a popular pastime at the pub, back in the days when Innisfail was known as a “gamblers den”.

• A huge house fire in a property next to the pub damaged the laundry in 1950. It was the second near miss for the Crown Hotel, which also had a blaze in June 1914. Fire fighters and staff put the fire out so fast there was little damage.

• The Crown has its own Facebook page. Check it out for information on upcoming events. 
  

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