Lions Den Hotel managers Linda and Darryl Paradise welcome you to the historic hotel. Photo: Supplied.
For 150 years, the Lions Den Hotel has survived everything that time – and mother nature – could throw at it. Now it’s time to celebrate.
The iconic hotel was nearly wiped from the map by the Annan River in December 2023 but, spearheaded by a Rossville and Helenvale community effort, it reopened on Australia Day 2024 in a reduced capacity.
“The pub filled up like a bucket with holes,” publican Judy Fry recalled.
“Every ceiling in the back part of the building was gone and we had to redo all the ceilings in the pub; in the kitchen, everything had to go out.”
More than three metres of water gushed through the hotel, leaving just the roof and walls standing. A massive cleanup and million-dollar rebuild followed and the landmark hotel fully reopened for business five months later.
Now Judy, her sister Linda and Linda’s husband Darryl Paradise, are busy preparing for birthday celebrations on 17-19 October.
The devastating 2023 flood destroyed a lot of unique visitor memorabilia. The commemorative thong verandah is a new initiative to help replace it. Photo: Facebook.
Jack Ross and his wife Annie founded the pub in 1875. Various stories about its name exist, including a claim it was named after the Lions Den tin mine in the area.
Made of timber and iron, the hotel is famous for its quirky decorations and walls adorned with visitors’ signatures.
Its anniversary celebrations will include live music, markets, raffles and plenty of family fun. On Saturday night, patrons are being asked to turn back the fashion clock and dress in 1800s style with prizes to be won.
Entertainers include Ella Hartwig, Shannon Hunter, Rough N Ready, Anthony Taylor, Patrick Nandy, the Roadtrippers, and the Jeremy Fletcher Band.
“It will be a big event for the pub,” Darryl said.
“We’ve had a lot of bookings. We had a couple of people in here travelling through from Melbourne the other day; they’re now going to come back for the weekend celebrations.
“We’re expecting a good crowd.”
Darryl said assistant manager River Stanley and the team’s great staff had been key to putting the celebrations in place.
He said the pub was now fully operational after the devastating 2023 flood.
“For 150 years we’d never been burnt, flooded or blown away by a cyclone, then that happened,” he said.
“It created a lot of work for us and a lot of expenditure but it’s up and running now. We have everything back except the fuel, we are still getting that organised.”
Darryl said running the historic hotel was a pleasure.
“It’s like a book – you meet so many lovely people and they all have a story,” he said.
“You find out a lot of history. There’s always someone who wants to have a bit of yarn and I like to talk to people.”
