Off to a workman's pub

Once again, we are experiencing another day of bloody cats and dogs, I hope this bloody Tasmanian weather improves soon. Today, I decided to take the young fella to an authentic Workmans pub, and we have settled into The Bellevue Hotel, also known as the Darling Range Hotel, which is situated at the base of the Darling Range (hence its name).

During the first world war, it was the nearest drinking hole to the legendary Blackboy hill army camp, the training camp that gave us the legend of John Simpson Kirkpatrick who was born in 1892 at Shields in Durham UK. He moved to Australia and carried a swag, worked as a cane cutter, a ship's hand and a coalminer, then enlisted in the AIF and began training at Blackboy Hill camp. Having been posted to the 3rd Field Ambulance, he was among those who landed at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915. Though a stretcher bearer, Simpson decided his task could be better accomplished using a donkey to carry his wounded charges. Just three weeks after the landing, Simpson was killed by a Turkish bullet during one of his morning journeys up Monash Valley to retrieve wounded men. And became the legendary 'Simpson and his donkey'. So, with the camp being so close to the Bellevue Hotel you can only imagine what ripper shenanigans would have gone on in her day.

The pub was built way back in 1905 and is still a rough and ready pub just the way we like her, and it's been a while since I layed the eyes on a skimpy. Trust me it was an eye opener for the young fella (I've never seen him drink so slow) I think this could be his favourite pub.