Darlington Point's iconic Punt Hotel to celebrate 100 years as owner recalls pub's history

One of the Riverina’s oldest pubs, the Punt Hotel in Darlington Point, will celebrate its 100th birthday on Saturday 29 March.

To mark this milestone, the venue will host a party from 11 am, featuring an all-day happy hour, platters, nibbles and entertainment.

History extends back to 1868

Retired prune grower Bruce Gowrie-Smith, who purchased and revamped the pub in 2019, says the history of the Punt goes back to the 1800s.

“The current building that stands now was constructed in 1925; it’s now turned 100. But it had been operating for 50 years on the same land before that,” he said.

“In 1868 the first hotel licence was granted, called the Darlington Inn, on the north side of the river.

“The following year, a man named Edward Grimley applied for a licence on the south of the bridge. He was granted 40 acres and opened the Riverine Hotel. Several years later it changed its name to the Punt Hotel, because it’s located on Punt Road.”

A fire destroyed the single-storey timber pub in 1924, leaving nothing but its chimneys standing. Pastoralist and then owner James Warby rebuilt it and it was opened the following year.

A pub with different entries for different types of patrons

Mr Gowrie-Smith recounted the history of a venue that’s been popular with locals and travellers for decades.

“In the 1950s and 1960s, there were three entries into the bar. The pastoralists and jackeroos used to enter from the west door and most other patrons entered from the northern doors,” he said.

“There were some excellent interim management, particularly in the 1980s, who offered great food and expensive wines – it was a real heyday.”

Another surge in popularity occurred after Mr Gowrie-Smith bought and renovated it after 2019, employing French chef Xavier Brambati, who’d previously worked in Michelin-star restaurants in Europe. He added items such as pistachio-crusted lamb, confit tomatoes and quinoa roulade to the menu, alongside the more traditional pub grub.

“There were four poker machines that were taken away before I took over,” Mr Gowrie-Smith said.

“Country pubs without poker machines have to have terribly good food and atmosphere to stay alive, as pokies are what usually props them up.”

Promising future

The 84-year-old owner is now looking to sell the pub and is hoping to find a buyer who will keep the legacy alive.

“Darlington Point is in a growth mode, while most country towns are not,” he said.

“The high land prices in Griffith are encouraging people to buy here and there’s some large horticultural development, particularly almonds, around the town.

“There are 55 new subdivisions coming up … so the next 100 years for the pub could be even better.”

Birthday party

Mr Gowrie-Smith will attend the 100th birthday party on 29 March, where official speeches will begin at 1 pm. Music will be provided by Griffith performer Dookie and his band Scar Tree, who will take the stage from 2 pm, followed by DJ Breiz from 8 pm.

Throughout the day, the Expatriates Auto Club Coffee and Cars Griffith will showcase its vehicles with a show’n’shine.

In the lead up to the big day, the hotel is calling on past and present patrons and employees to share their fond memories of the pub, either in person on the day or via the pub’s Facebook page.

“It’s an incredible milestone for us to celebrate a century of serving the wonderful people of Darlington Point and surrounding areas,” Mr Gowrie-Smith said.

For more details, follow The Punt Facebook page.