💙 ONE FINAL DANCE… FOR NOW 💙
We’ve got some big news to share, and honestly, this one is a little hard to write…
After 10 incredible years of Let’s Dance Carinda, we’ve decided that 2026 will be our last year for a while as we take a well-earned break after our 10th Anniversary. 💙
What started as a crazy little idea has grown into something so much bigger than we ever imagined. For 10 years, we’ve watched people travel from near and far to our little corner of the outback to celebrate Bowie, dance, laugh, dress up and make memories.
To everyone who has supported us, come through the gates, volunteered, performed, sponsored, camped, danced, shared our posts or simply cheered us on from afar — thank you. ❤️
You’ve made Let’s Dance Carinda what it is, and we will be forever grateful.
So, if you’ve never made it to Carinda… this is your chance.
If you’ve been saying “we’ll come next year” — don’t wait. 😉
And if you’ve been with us along the way, we want you back to celebrate 10 years of Let’s Dance Carinda with us one more time before we take our break. 🥹💙
Let’s make our 10th Anniversary the biggest, loudest and most unforgettable Let’s Dance Carinda yet.
🎶 10 YEARS. ONE FINAL DANCE… FOR NOW. 🎶
📍 Carinda sports oval
📅 3rd & 4th October 2026
Turn and face the strange… and come dance with us. 💙✨
#LetsDanceCarinda #10Years #OneFinalDance #DavidBowie #Carinda TurnAndFaceTheStrange
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🍻 Several names, a cyclone, a devastating fire and one very lucky sleepwalker - this vanished Bourke pub had quite a story.
The Harp of Erin Hotel once stood on Mitchell Street, later becoming the Caledonian and earning the local nickname “The Golden Stairs”.
The photograph featured here shows its Harp of Erin era, dated 1893–1895 in the hotel’s extended history, when John McLoughlin was the publican.
Its history reaches back to the 1880s. The hotel’s extended history records that Charles Warren built it as the Turf Hotel in 1883, replacing an adjacent pub lost to fire. It subsequently traded as the Royal Exchange, the Harp of Erin under John McLoughlin, and finally the Caledonian under Shaw.
With neighbouring pubs and Doughty’s Horse Bazaar nearby, it occupied a busy part of old Bourke.
🔥 In 1903, fire swept along Mitchell Street, destroying the hotel’s five wooden bedrooms and surrounding businesses. Firefighters saved the main building, extinguishing flames in upstairs rooms.
🌪️ In 1906, a cyclonic storm sent the brick parapet crashing through the upper floors. The publican, his family and a boarder survived.
In February 1912, resident chemist Mr Arnott sleepwalked off the upstairs verandah. Waking mid-fall, he grabbed a water pipe and escaped with a broken wrist. That July, the licensee was fined for serving alcohol to an on-duty constable.
The pub lost its licence in 1924, then served as council chambers until 1934. Demolition followed in 1935.
Today, this restored and colourised photograph offers a glimpse of the people and place behind those stories.
📖 Explore the Harp of Erin’s history and read Bruce Gray's extended account. Link in Comments 👉
Do you have family stories or photographs of Bourke’s old pubs? We’d love to hear them.
#ThePubRoute #Bourke #OutbackNSW #AustralianPubHistory #HarpOfErinHotel
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A new chapter for the Colly Pub! ❤️ Thank you to the Dunn family for the heart and hard work you’ve poured into Collarenebri and the Tattersall's Hotel. Wishing you all the best, and a warm welcome to the new owners. 🍻
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