Star Hotel Albury to change hands

Since the days when the walls were plastered with pink paper, staff have watched people flock to the Guinea Street premises to “start at the Star”.

After months of negotiations, co-owners Simon Hodgson, his father, Alan, and Andrew Newton sold the establishment at the beginning of December.

The licencee of the Riverina Hotel in Hay, Ron Nairne, will step behind the bar as of February 1.

Mr Hodgson said he had seen many changes in his time at the pub.

“We were like a mini nightclub when we first took it over,” he said.

“At the time, there was the Terminus Hotel where First Choice is, Liquid nightclub, and Zed Bar used to be called the Globe – Paddies was the New Albury Hotel.

“Everyone came to us.

“The jukebox was in the pool room down the back, people would play songs and everyone was humming, it was full of people.

“Because we closed at midnight, the owner of the Globe would send down his best-looking bar staff at 11pm to hand out free drink vouchers.

“He wanted everyone to go to his place - not Liquid.

“That's where ‘start at the Star’ began.”

The pub first opened in Albury in 1874 and was taken over by the trio in July 2003.

A bottle shop at the back was closed down within the first two years and the owners extended the beer garden, built a red gum bar near the entrance and completely refurbished the premises.

The current pokies room was a stage and the entrance was to the side of the building.

Just two televisions sat in the bar in 2003, now there are 55.

New laws in 2007 also saw the smokers move outdoors.

Mr Hodgson said patrons were thirsty in the summer of 2003, when they set a Star record after drinking through 98 kegs in a week.

“When we took over, it was doing eight kegs a week, now we do a minimum of 40,” he said.

“We are sad to see the place go, but it will run the same.

“The same staff will stay on and it will sponsor the same sporting clubs.”