The Billinudgel Pub has stood its ground through floods, fires and more for the last 120 years and the unveiling of three recreated historic mirrors on the front verandah last Friday kicked off the celebrations.
The current pub was built in 1906 on the site of the former pub that had been built in 1898 (when the railway came through), but then burnt down.
‘Ma Ring bought this in 1929 and it has been in the family ever since. I grew up upstairs,’ said Ma Ring’s grandson, and former publican, Kenny Barnham.
Ma Ring’s poker skills, and plenty of wild nights, mean the Billinudgel has seen its fair share of history. Ma Ring remained licensee until she passed away at 101, just a few weeks before her 102nd birthday in 1983.
‘She was the oldest licensee in the British Empire,’ says Kenny.
Kenny ran the pub for a time in the 1980s for his mum and eventually bought the pub from his family in 1999.
In the last few years Kenny has stepped back and handed the pub onto his three sons Craig, Jordan, and Mitch in February 2024 who have also brought in their good friend Panda as the licensee (legend has it that his legal name is somewhere on the building!).
Reflecting the past
The new mirrors on the pub’s front verandah are replicas of the ones that have been there since the 1930s and it has been a labour of love by Michael Hodgson and his team to recreate them over the last three years.
‘It has taken a team to do the work to recreate these mirrors,’ Kenny told the gathered crowd last Friday.
‘Michael was here to do the sign on the pub, and we talked about redoing the mirrors on the front of the pub. Signwriting is a real craft, and Michael found the last remaining signwriters that have this trade to do the work. What a great craft sign-writing is.
‘The most recent one is from the WWII era and the other two are from prior and no brewing companies have done these types of works since that period.’
The first Tooheys pub mirror, on the right of the verandah when you are facing it, is of the famous horse jumper Esther Stace high jumping the renowned jumper Desmond side-saddle. Esther set the side-saddle high-jump record of 6 feet 6 inches at the 1915 Sydney Royal Easter Show on Desmond, a record that stood unbeaten for 98 years.
‘They used genuine oil paint and painting and then did a traditional water slide transfer’ to create the image, explained Michael.
Having done his trade apprenticeship in 1996 Michael was uniquely placed to bring together the team of signwriters, artists, and traditional crafts and trades people needed to accurately replicate the mirrors.
‘The signs are hand-painted. There were no computers or computer programs used in the production; it was all done freehand with the brush. This is the real thing,’ he told the gathering.
The mirrors used the traditional silver hand pouring technique, painting, and signwriting to authentically recreate the mirrors. The central mirror is of another jumper and the mirror on the left is an art deco piece that was the last of the painted silver mirrors done around 1940. The lettering was hand drawn by Michael in the shed near the pub.
Making history, history
‘It’s something that I never thought I’d be a part of or understand,’ Panda told The Echo.
‘Having Hodgy break it down over the last three years made me really understand what it takes to make something like this.’
Jordy Barnham agreed saying, ‘I’m stoked to see the history renewed and keep the era of the classic old pubs alive. I’m honoured to be able to have it here.’
The mirrors were framed in red cedar from Mullumbimby by local furniture maker Martin Johnson.
‘The framing timber is Australian red cedar. The cedar was the reason this area was put on the map,’ explained Martin.
‘This tree was felled in 1906, the same year as the pub was built. It was felled at Lavertys Gap. There was an old mate who stored them, his son inherited them, then my father saw them and bought them, then I inherited them – and I thought where else should they be but here at the Billinudgel Pub.
‘I feel quite humble really to have been able to work on these. I grew up around this pub. I’ve got lots of early memories of all these mirrors. Now to be able to be involved in the rebirth of these mirrors and work with the family who have owned this pub for generations is a real honour.’
‘They all look amazing,’ said Mitch Barnham.
‘I can’t wait for the 120-year celebration on 12 September.’
From 11am to 11pm the Billi will be celebrating with live music, DJs, probably a few speeches here and there, food trucks and lots of laughter and everyone is invited to get a ticket and join the fun.
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