The downfall of a great Aussie pub

The closure has caused a stir among locals who have taken to social media to express their disbelief and displeasure as rumours start to swirl.

It has not been lost on the community that another pub closure means the town now rests on the shoulders of just two pubs with four sitting vacant in the main street.

Corowa resident and respected former publican John Elmore said one must pay their bills if they expect to keep their pub open.

“You must pay your gaming machine tax to the government,” Mr Elmore said.

“The notice is on his door; he owes an undisclosed amount in poker machine tax.

“And he must be behind in his rent because the freehold owners have trimmed in the fleet.”

Since the re-entry notice was posted on the front door the pub has been boarded up to prevent anyone from entering the building.

Poker machines and the pub’s interior trimmings have been removed.

Mr Elmore said tenants were entitled to remove what they had put in as long as it was screwed and not nailed to the wall.

He said the community was bitterly disappointed with the turn of events that have left the Newmarket and Corowa Hotel as the town’s only operating pubs.

“It’s really sad, it brought a tear to my eyes,” he said.

“It’s a shame because the Aussie and Royal are the two best pubs in town; they're magnificent buildings.

“I wish I could take 10 years off, I'd be in there.”

The Aussie’s ousted publican Luke Adamson has been slammed on social media, with many taking to Facebook claiming the change in management had destroyed a pub they once loved.

Mr Adamson and the hotel owners have so far been unavailable for comment.