When The Victoria Bathurst re-opened in January last year, licensee Heath Smith wanted the venue "to be the sort of place that you can drop into any day of the week."
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Cut to a year later, and the venue has become a popular hu for entertainment and community events, ranging from live music to fundraisers and open mic nights.
The Victoria's brand and event manager Meg McKenna said the staff have been blown away by the community's response over the past 12 months.
"We've loved giving artists an opportunity to perform in a place where they feel welcomed by the community," Ms McKenna said.
"It has been most pleasing to see such a variety of people walk through the door, as we want to ensure everyone feels welcome."
The venue has helped fill a void in the Bathurst music scene: a dedicated performance space for original local and touring acts.
With two sold-out album launches [Smith & Jones and Andy Nelson], visits from high-profile touring acts and a bunch of popular classic album nights, Ms McKenna said there was rarely a lull in entertainment.
"The classic album nights provided audiences with a welcome touch of nostalgia, and older music fans enjoyed revisiting their love of bands such as The Beatles and The Doors," she said.
"It's always a challenge to push original music as local audiences tend to prefer songs they know, but we've found having well-known local musicians as support acts has helped bring attention to a variety of touring artists."
In addition to the entertainment, Mr Smith said the venue has benefited from an open-minded approach to community engagement.
"A key point of difference for our pub is that we've placed our focus beyond the excessive selling of alcohol," he said.
"We've always used good food and drinks as our base, and all our other events have stemmed from that."
The venue won two awards at the 2019 Carillon Business Awards for Excellence in Small Business and Excellence in Food, Wine or Hospitality.
In 2020, the venue will look to expand accommodation options and further hone their event roster.
"We hope to attract more well-known touring acts to the venue and provide a 'Vic' twist to our accommodation," Mr Smith said.
"Our aim is to enjoy what we do as much as the punter."