Australian Venue Co, the company that owns Perth pub The Court and hundreds of other venues across the country is backtracking on a decision which said their venues would not celebrate Australia Day.
A spokesperson for the company had reportedly said that the venues would not take part in Australia Day celebrations in 2025.
“Australia Day is a day that causes sadness for some members of our community, so we have decided not to specifically celebrate a day that causes hurt for some of our patrons and our team,” they said.
Following an adverse reaction from media pundits, politicians and business leaders, the company has quickly reversed its decision.
“We can see that our comments on the weekend have caused both concern and confusion. We sincerely regret that – our purpose is to reinforce community in our venues, not divide it.” the company said in a statement on Monday.
“It is not for us to tell anyone whether or how to celebrate Australia Day. We acknowledge that and we apologise for our comments.
“It certainly wasn’t our intention to offend anyone. We employ 9,600 people across the country. And we welcome 15 million patrons each year to our venues.
“Across our community of team members and patrons, many different views are held and we acknowledge that. Whether you choose to celebrate Australia Day or not, everyone is welcome in our pubs, always. We have been, and are always, open over Australia Day and we continue to book events for patrons.” they said.
The company owns venues all across Australia including many much-loved watering holes in Perth. Alongside The Court they also operate the Bentley Hotel, Civic Hotel, Durty Nelly’s Irish Pub, Market Grounds, Raffles Hotel, The Bassendean Hotel, The Aviary, The Guilford Hotel, The Generous Squire, and many others.
Sky News hosts were among the first to call for a boycott of the more than 200 venues run by the company, and political pundits and business leaders also quickly shared their views.
Billionaire Bruce Mathieson, whose family owns a significant stake in rival pub company Endevour Group told The Australian Financial Review that not enough Australians were proud of their country, and more needed to be done to encourage people to mark Australia Day.
“I just think it’s appalling what they are doing. That is just stupid, stupid stuff and it really is beyond belief,” Mathieson said.
“We should celebrate every bloody moment we have in this country. We’re not proud enough of Australia as it is.”
Liberal Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price told one news outlet that the public response within the first few hours of the company’s stance becoming known was reflective of last year’s Voice to Parliament referendum outcome.
“This decision is the antithesis of what Australians voted for when they voted no to the Voice – that is clear from the immediate public outcry which we saw today,” Senator Price said.
Appearing on the Credlin program on Sky News the senator also suggested that the decision could be classed as overseas political interference, because the company’s majority shareholder is a Singaporean based company.
“I think we’ve got to a point of absolute nonsense in our country, could this be considered foreign interference?” the Senator asked.
“It’s a pub group out of Singapore suggesting that we as Australians, you know, deciding for us, how we should celebrate or not celebrate our national day.” Senator Price said.
Host Peta Credlin said she’d be carrying a list of all 200 venues owned by the company with her so she could ensure she never visited any of their properties.
As Sky News hosts lined up one after another to take a swing at the company, Chris Kenny asked why the company was able to support Brisbane’s Big Gay Day, Wear It Purple Day, a LGBTIQA+ Day and International Women’s Day, but not thrown their support behind Australia Day.
Later in the evening another Sky News host said the company had shown that they were not “patriots”. On The Late Debate Liz Storer shared her views.
“You’ve shown your hand, we know where you stand – you don’t love our country, you aren’t patriots, why would we want to visit your pub on our national day anyway. The damage is done – period. Thanks for the apology, we know you don’t mean it, you were just forced into it.” Storer said.
