Royal Hotel Barham
After departing Euston and it’s questionable age claims in New South Wales we drove 2 1/2 hours through Victoria to arrive back in New South Wales and the Royal Hotel Barham.
The drive wasn’t as long as some of the others we’d done, but something about it felt long. There wasn’t much to see other than a drive through Swan Hill, the occasional river view, and an interesting tree or two. So when we finally got to Barham, we were definitely ready for a beer.
Even more exciting than the prospect of having a beer, was that this Royal represented John and I crossing the halfway mark on the entire tour. The Royal Hotel Barham was number 70 out of 139 Royals in Australia. So after this one, if you named any Royal in Australia, the odds are that we’ve had a beer there. Yes, it’s barely more likely than not we’ve had a beer there, but we’re over halfway!
However, as we parked out front, our hearts dropped. Written in big letters on the pub were the words “Royal BRIDGE Hotel”. As per our rules, that would disqualify this one from counting for the Tour. So slightly dejected, we headed inside. Because counting or not, we were ready to not be in the car and to be drinking a beer.
The sign just above the door did give us a bit more hope as it simply said “Royal Hotel”. Figuring this was the kind of puzzle best solved with a schooner in hand, we got some beverages and had a chat with one of the locals and the friendly lady behind the bar. As it turns out, there was another Royal in the town just across the river and the word ‘Bridge’ was added to the name on the sign of this Royal to differentiate the two. But the name on the license was the Royal Hotel. And the name on my bank statement after buying beers said Royal Hotel. And that was good enough for us.
So with that riveting debate settled, we were able to settle in and enjoy the pub itself. The front bar area wasn’t huge, but it wasn’t cramped either. On the other side of the bar, we could see the dining area which was pretty decent size. And even better, much to John’s delight, it offered a variety of gelato (which I believe is a first for a pub on the Tour).
There were a fair few tables out front as well to enjoy a beverage (or gelato) and watch the world go by.
But having established a rapport with the few people in the pub in the early arvo, we mainly hung out in the front bar. There was a pool table, but we decided not to partake this time around. Instead we hung out, enjoyed not being in the car and talked to the locals.
As it turns out, there is something of a rivalry between the two Royals. The vibe I got was that the one across the river in Koondrook was something of the hoity toity fancy pub where they could sometimes be too cool for visitors. And the one where we were currently sitting in Barham was more the everyman, relaxed and welcoming pub.
So very much intrigued and curious to see this rival Royal for ourselves, we bid farewell to our new mates at the Royal Hotel Barham. And, having braced ourselves for the long 3 minute interstate drive across the river to Koondrook, we headed off to see what the next Royal had in store for us.
Royal Stats
- Town/Suburb: Barham, NSW
- Population: 1,134
- Date Visited: Saturday, October 19, 2024
- Visited By: Cory, John, Jordy and Anthony
- Beer Sponsorship on Sign: Carlton
- Beer Consumed at Pub: Pirate Life Pale Ale
- Price of Schooner of Said Beer: $9.00
- Unique Award: Best Royal Gelato
- Tour Progress: 50.4% (70/139)