history - The Local Rag

The Best Country Pubs for Sale in Australia Right Now

Many of us have dreamed of owning and tending bar at our very own pub in the country. And that reality could come true sooner rather than later if you buy one of these country pubs for sale right now. Country pubs in Victoria, New South Wales, Tasmania, and the rest of Australia can often…

19 September 2024ByBen Tyers

From Desert Tracks to Steel Rails: The History of The Ghan

Travelling Australia by train is a remarkable way to explore the country in comfort and style, with The Ghan one of the nation’s, if not the world’s, great train journeys. Celebrating its 95th anniversary this year, The Ghan is a national treasure with a rich locomotive history that every Australian should experience once in their…

2 September 2024ByTobias Handke

New South Wales Pubs

Inside the Iconic Pub With the Tallest Bar in the Southern Hemisphere

The Black Stump Hotel, an unassuming pub in Merriwagga, New South Wales is shrouded in outback mythology and local folklore. There’s the tale of how the pub got its name; a woman named Barbara Blaine who burned alive in 1886 in the area, whose husband reportedly said “looked like a black stump”, or it could be because the surrounding area is known colloquially as “Black…

22 June 2024ByEm Jensen

Victoria

Where to Find the Tallest Trees in Victoria

Victoria's wilderness beckons. Dust off your hiking boots and hit the open road. Forget the pre-planned tours and crowded beaches. This adventure is all about untamed majesty. Victoria boasts some of the tallest trees in the southern hemisphere, and we're on a quest to find them. Imagine towering giants reaching for the sky, their branches…

12 June 2024ByJohn Taylor

Food & Drink History

The Origins of South Australia’s Chicken Salt

Vegemite is regarded as Australia’s greatest ever condiment, which is a fair shout. But for South Aussies, it’s hard to go past chicken salt. A savoury seasoning concocted in a backyard shed in the 1970s, chicken salt has become a staple of not only chicken shops but households across the nation. It’s even gone global,…

27 May 2024ByTobias Handke

Food & Drink New South Wales

From Take Away to Tourist Destination: Niagara Cafe’s Revival Brings History and Brunch to Gundagai

Click on smaller images below to see them in full size. Along the Hume Highway between Sydney and Melbourne sits one of Australia’s few remaining original Greek diners; the Niagara Cafe. The cafe, which was established in 1902, was recently purchased by Sydney couple Luke Walton and Kym Fraser who spent a year restoring the…

20 May 2024ByEm Jensen

Food & Drink History New South Wales

Milkshakes, Memories, and More: Bell’s Milk Bar in Pictures

On Thursday mornings the Indian Pacific train stops at the outback town of Broken Hill and travellers are invited on a tour; starting with scones, tea and coffee, milkshakes and spiders at Bell’s Milk Bar. A few local actors even dress up in fifties garb and perform a skit for the fascinated travellers, dancing to…

23 April 2024ByEm Jensen

History Victoria

Gold Prospecting in Victoria, Where to Strike it Rich

The allure of gold has captivated humanity for millennia. In Australia, the discovery of gold in Victoria in 1851 triggered a historic gold rush, forever shaping the state's social and economic landscape. Today, Victoria remains a popular destination for recreational gold prospecting, also known as fossicking. Recent years have seen a significant increase in gold…

6 April 2024ByBen Tyers

History

How Australia Invented the World’s Favourite Apple

It might be surprising to learn that the green thing in your kid’s lunchbox is one of the most successful agricultural exports in Australian history. Yep, we’re talking about the humble Granny Smith apple, also known as “Can I please have an LCM bar instead, mum?” Granny Smith apples—a unique cultivar hybrid of ordinary Malus…

5 April 2024ByJames Shackell

History

The Tumultuous Life of ‘Heavy Harry’

In the annals of Australian railway history, there stands a formidable giant, a true testament to the ingenuity and ambition of the Victorian Railways – the H class steam locomotive, affectionately known as "Heavy Harry." Among its kin, H220 emerged as the largest non-articulated steam locomotive ever built in Australia and held the title of…

3 December 2023ByJohn Taylor

History

How Flightless Birds Beat the Australian Army

The remote Australian outback in the 1930s was a harsh and unforgiving landscape, but nothing could have prepared the military personnel for the bizarre and comical conflict that would come to be known as the Great Emu War. It all started when a group of emus, large flightless birds native to Australia, descended upon a…

11 October 2023ByThe Roustabout

New South Wales

Gold Prospecting in NSW, Where to Strike it Rich

In the tapestry of time, the allure of gold continues to captivate us, with the precious metal's value soaring to well over $2,600 for an ounce in the vast expanse of the Australian continent. Reflecting on the mid-90s, one can vividly recall the news anchors' solemn reports on gold prices, which then stood at a…

24 September 2023ByThe Editor

History Victoria

Everything You Need To Know About Murtoa’s ‘Stick Shed’

The Murtoa Stick Shed is a legendary architectural icon in the Wimmera region of Victoria. The shed was built by local contractor Green Bros who started work in September 1941, amazingly the shed was ready to accept grain deliveries in January 1942.

6 July 2023ByBen Tyers

History Victoria

Where to Visit Ned Kelly’s Childhood Home

Ned Kelly, if you're unaware, was an infamous Australian bushranger who became a folk hero and symbol of resistance against colonial authorities in the late 19th century. Today, the Ned Kelly house that he was born into, and spent a good amount of his childhood in, still stands. The house is known as the Kelly…

10 May 2023ByBen Tyers

Gear History

The Best Books About Australian History

G'day, below we're letting you know about products we love, and that we'd recommend you buy. In buying the products below, please know that we may receive a commission which in turn supports The Local Rag to continue doing what we do best. The history of the continent of Australia is long, and not without…

10 May 2023ByThe Editor

Tag: history

The Best Country Pubs for Sale in Australia Right Now

From Desert Tracks to Steel Rails: The History of The Ghan

Inside the Iconic Pub With the Tallest Bar in the Southern Hemisphere

Where to Find the Tallest Trees in Victoria

The Origins of South Australia’s Chicken Salt

From Take Away to Tourist Destination: Niagara Cafe’s Revival Brings History and Brunch to Gundagai

Milkshakes, Memories, and More: Bell’s Milk Bar in Pictures

Gold Prospecting in Victoria, Where to Strike it Rich

How Australia Invented the World’s Favourite Apple

The Tumultuous Life of ‘Heavy Harry’

How Flightless Birds Beat the Australian Army

Gold Prospecting in NSW, Where to Strike it Rich

Everything You Need To Know About Murtoa’s ‘Stick Shed’

Where to Visit Ned Kelly’s Childhood Home

The Best Books About Australian History

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