{"id":793599,"date":"2026-07-11T13:26:40","date_gmt":"2026-07-11T13:26:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/793599\/"},"modified":"2026-07-11T13:26:40","modified_gmt":"2026-07-11T13:26:40","slug":"a-centenary-jubilee-for-queanbeyans-royal-hotel-and-a-new-venue-on-the-way","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/793599\/","title":{"rendered":"A centenary jubilee for Queanbeyan\u2019s Royal Hotel, and a new venue on the way"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"See<\/p>\n

The Royal Hotel celebrates 100 years of serving Queanbeyan. Photo: Region.<\/p>\n

To (mis)quote a famous Chinese proverb: what\u2019s the best time to plant a tree? A hundred years ago. What\u2019s the second best time to plant a tree? Today.<\/p>\n

The same could be said for pubs. The Royal Hotel Queanbeyan turns 100 this year, while a new pub in Googong is just getting started.<\/p>\n

The hotel was most recently sold in 2010 to Anthony McDonald, who told Region he had enjoyed learning more about the history in preparation for a centenary celebration.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s an irreplaceable pub. Sometimes you just gotta sit back and reflect and think about how lucky we are,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cCan you imagine building a pub this big in 1926? And it still holds the same position in the community as it did back then. There were some decades when it was perhaps more recognised for fights between some of Queanbeyan\u2019s more troubled characters! But we\u2019ve fixed that and for the last 17 years since we\u2019ve been involved it\u2019s been much better.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A full page spread celebrated the opening of the newly refurbished Royal Hotel in 1969. Image: National Library of Australia\/Trove.<\/p>\n

The Royal Hotel has had a storied history. Local elections were declared on the balcony of this establishment, floods and fires ravaged the building (which was rebuilt, remodelled and repaired several times), and countless weddings and celebrations have been held.<\/p>\n

The Sydney Morning Herald dedicated a full page to the reopening of the refurbished space in 1969. A \u2018woman\u2019s eye\u2019 analysed the new furnishings, a TV celebrity was spotted, and local businesses touted their wares: \u201cTake a close look at the Royal\u2019s new carpet: we supplied it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chef Wayne Alger has been working at The Royal for more than a year now, and has been working on a sold-out centenary ball\u2019s menu that recreates dishes served 100 years ago.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve recreated the original menu from the first function at the Royal Hotel. I had to do a little bit of reading about the dishes \u2026 It\u2019s a really old-school menu with techniques that haven\u2019t been used for a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

This piece was published in the Sydney Morning Herald on 27 February 1926 and details the moment when the licence was granted for a hotel in Queanbeyan. Image: National Library of Australia\/Trove.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s also busily preparing the kitchens for the new Googong Hotel, which is slated to open in October. The new hotel will have a downstairs bistro focusing on pub classics using great ingredients. There will be a display cabinet for the beef which will become steaks, locally made fresh pasta will be on the menu, and all the burgers will be made in-house.<\/p>\n

They\u2019ve also imported two huge rotisserie ovens from France which hold around 60 chickens each!<\/p>\n

\u201cI remember when I was a kid going to the charcoal chicken shop and then heading down to the park with Mum and Dad for a picnic. There\u2019s a park just across from the new place, so I\u2019d love to bring that back and get people coming in for a good chicken, seasoned well, with great sides.\u201d<\/p>\n

Upstairs will host a Chinese restaurant serving classic Australian-Chinese dishes such as honey chicken, Mongolian lamb and beef in black bean, but with a more modern sensibility. Wayne told Region he was working with some excellent chefs to bring that vision to life.<\/p>\n

Anthony hopes the new venue will become a part of the fabric of Googong, much like the Royal Hotel has in Queanbeyan. And maybe even stand for another hundred years!<\/p>\n

The Googong Hotel<\/a> will be located at Lot 3 Glenrock Drive, Googong, NSW. It\u2019s hoped it will open in October.<\/p>\n

The Royal Hotel Queanbeyan is located at 85 Monaro Street, Queanbeyan, NSW and is open seven days a week. Follow The Royal Hotel on Facebook<\/a> or Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Original Article published by Lucy Ridge on About Regional<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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