Robert ‘Bob’ Thompson
This plaque is located at 36 Curdie St.
Long-time publican Bob Thompson never married. He was a keen sportsman who rowed and played cricket and golf very well. He attended Xavier College in Melbourne. His sporting career halted when he injured a knee playing football with Cobden.
He raced horses with the likes of John Blake, Bruce King and Jack Godfrey. One of the best known was Wishing which was trained by Kevin Lafferty.
Even during brewery strikes which happened regularly just before Christmas, ‘Thommos’ never ran out of beer. Bob worked with Bill Pollock (Leura Hotel, Camperdown) to ensure any spare spaces were well-stocked with bottled beer . . . just in case. There was one time though when a semi-load of VB cans crossed the Nullabor Plain from Perth. It arrived just as the strike was called off!
Thommo was forthright in his opinions. He was reluctant to cash cheques, saying: ‘The bank doesn’t sell beer and I don’t cash cheques.’ He was famous for not starting the day with a big cash float.
When supermarkets began selling alcohol, he threatened many times to start selling groceries. Teachers were often referred to as ‘communists’ due to their penchant for striking – one teacher in particular was always a ‘long- haired, bearded communist’.
Bob usually smoked Philip Morris plain cigarettes but he loved an occasional Wee Willem cigar. He also enjoyed his own product but never before 5pm. He was sometimes guilty of dropping the day’s takings when retiring upstairs to bed. During a big day, he would stash money from the till in his pockets for safe keeping, and wonder later that night why the till was ‘short’. And, like all drivers, it was never recommended that he got behind the wheel of a car after any type of celebration.
Dave Robertson and Ross Savage (1971-93) were full- time barmen at different stages during the earlier days of Thompson’s Hotel. Part-time staff included Barry English, Ian ‘Bushy’ Kerr, Alan ‘Pelican’ Clementson, Bill Malady, Robert ‘Jex’ Frusher, Bernie ‘Bluey’ Harrington, Les Hammond, Jim and Bill Dalziel, Jim Oborne, Greg Sambell, Ron Greagen, Peter ‘Harvey’ Gstrein, Gary Rix, Steve Nelson and Frank Retallack.
Ron Greagen upset Bob one night when he booked in a team of footballers, strictly against hotel policy. Of course, the visitors duly left water taps running and flooded the entire upstairs.
Kitchen and cleaning staff included Marie Oborne, Edie Clarke, Molly Egan, Wilma Robertson, Bernadette Brewer, Fran Warden, Margaret Athorn, Emmy Merrett, Cynthia Moran, Enid Smith, Nancy Savage, Janet Fagan, Heather Cole and Alma Alexander. Edie Clarke’s ample mixed grill was always seen as a test of a diner’s appetite.
Regular patrons included Sandy Roberts, Bob Andrews, Garth McLennan, Bert Lock, ‘Stumpy’ Bourke, Jim McCabe, Jack Leech, Jack ‘Twinkle Toes’ Langley, the Mathieson brothers, Bill Unwin, Stanley Watts, Ron ‘The Deputy’ Arandt and Eric Fagan who, one night, spent the night at the ‘top pub’ after being taunted by Thommo waving a £10 note in front of his face. “If you can catch it, you can go and spend it,” he was told. Eric did catch it, and he did spend it . . . up the road.
Bob was known as a good employer. He always paid his staff ‘to the cent’ and ensured they were given a good meal. He died on July 25th, 1984.
