PUB OF THE MONTH IT’S FAIR DINKUM, MATE

WORDS & PHOTOS COLIN WHELAN

It’s Fair Dinkum, mate

LATE ON DECEMBER 29TH, 1929, when a train pulled into the station at the pub-less Mallee town of Patchewollock a carload of out-of town plain-clothed narks was waiting in the shadows. They watched as a stack of crates of beer was unloaded from one of the railway wagons and when it was all done one of the D’s headed over and ‘chased’ the bloke in charge for five bottles of Melbourne Bitter and handed him a ten-bob note.