Flinders to shut its doors
The Flinders Hotel will shut its doors as a gay venue following the October long weekend.
The venue’s lessee, Sue Cameron, is understood to be in negotiations with a group of buyers who intend to shut the pub and conduct renovations.
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“The lease is in the process of being sold, we don’t have a definite date as yet. The new owners will be shutting down for a period of time. I have no idea if it’s going to remain a gay venue,” said the bar’s manager Chris Milne, who along with other staff members, has been left without a job.
“I’ve informed all the Bears and all the other girls nights we work with that this will be going on, so they’re relocating, and some of the girls nights are taking a rest. It’s kind of the end of an era for a lot of us who have worked here.”
Harbour City Bears president Jonny Bastin confirmed the club would move its Friday Den Night to the Oxford Hotel. Bears on a Sunday will move to the Lord Roberts on Stanley St.
“The Oxford is perfect for the Friday and The Lord Roberts is a fantastic venue for the Sunday because it’s got a massive outside deck area upstairs and a restaurant I know the Bears will love,” Bastin said, adding that a shift to two venues could provide added security for the club in the future.
The Bears used to hold their den at the Oxford, before being given two weeks to vacate so the previous owners could renovate.
“There is a bit of hostility about how HCB was treated then, but that management is no longer in control of the Oxford,” Bastin said.
“The current licensee has reassured us that the venue’s been turned into a full-time gay and lesbian venue.
“We’ve made it very clear in our discussions with the Oxford that if Bears were to go back there, we want to make sure the Bears get a high profile — we’re on the ground floor, we don’t want to be shoved in the downstairs or upstairs bar.
“He’s promised that the ground floor is ours but has also offered us access to the underground Gilligan’s Bar and access to the whole hotel when possible for things like Bear Essentials.
“We’re really excited to be going back there. The plans that have been outlined for us at the Oxford have really seen it coming back to its heyday in the ’90s when it was the main gay bar.
“The deal we’re getting for our members is fantastic, and what the Bears are really going to like to hear is that the beer is going to be cheaper at the Oxford and all the other benefits will still be there.”
Cameron was unavailable for comment, however, in January she denied rumours the Flinders would be sold, claiming she had put the lease on the market “only for the purpose of valuation”.
Quiet gay venue where you can actually have a conversation ? There’s been one for ages and it’s just across the road from the Flinders – it’s called the Taxi Club.
Take a look. It’s charms are not immediately obvious but those who take the time to spend more than a fleeting glance at the place inevitably fall in love with it.
I agree, a stylish lounge with quality cabaret type entertainment is sorely needed in the gay scene. It was once there in the sidebar at the Albury and the Venus Room in Kings Cross. There are already many venues catering to the doof doof crowd, something more refined would be nice.
To pual that has hopes of more neighbourhood bars, I just don’t think this will work. Mr Mary’s in Redfern and Manacle in Petersham are two examples of neighbourhood bars that were not supported by the gay community. With Flinders closing and upstairs at the shift paring back events, it is clear that if gay bars cannot survive in the gay ghetto of Oxford Street what hope is there of gay bars surviving further afield.
Why are gays staying away from clubs? Community spirit that was once abundant amongst patrons in gay clubs has now been replaced by drugged up queens trying to find chemically induced highs instead of natural highs brought about by connecting with other people face to face. Something that is also missing in those trawling the internet chatrooms and adult sites trying to make cyber connections with faceless people (how are we supposed to know if we are attracted to someone without using all our senses to see, smell, feel etc).
If we would all make the effort to ditch the internet and ditch the attitude and go to gay clubs and start meeting people, just like pre-internet days, then we would not be here complaining about gay clubs closing.
Whilst the idea of a Euro style venue appeals – and is something that Sydney desperately needs – there is very little incentive for a business owner to take the risk. The Sydney “scene” is so fickle that what is the “must go to” venue one week is “done and dusted” the next.
A Euro style venue would be fantastic – I love the bars in Paris and London – but I can’t see anyone opening one in Sydney any time soon. :-(
We may never again experience the fabulous sydney gay revolution of the 1970’s through 1980’s. Misconceived ideas of equality, selfish twinkism and socio-ecnomic division after straight modelling have killed it! And where are the Sydney ghurls now – flat, inactive, divisive and a fast flocking exodus to Melbourne and the North?
everyone has the right idea about a quiet bar of sorts but pub owners have this idea all gays are into is the doof doof head thumping generic crap, thats all the gay scene is now, generic and bland, no more excitment, to more trend setting no more nothing, just a dying main road with plastic clones, Im only 31 but I remember the Albury Hotel with the cocktail/piano bar on one side and main bar on the other, you had the best of both worlds if you wanted to doof away you could and there was a quiet place for a drink and a chat. Businesses on the scene have no respect and simply just don’t care about their clientele, all they want is the pink $$. It is enevitable that oxford st will one day be a long forgotten memory, the flinders is just another nail in the queer coffin.
I strongly agree with calls for a nice quiet gay bar. The Castro in San Fran has plenty of smaller gay bars that are always really popular for a few drinks after work. Less massive all-night trashy pubs and clubs would be a good thing
Obviously the Bears dont really care as they seem more excited about going back to the Oxford even though I think the Flinders suits the Bear crowd. I definately agree with the comments made by Lance Day and MarkB. Losing the Flinders in its current state I dont think wil be a loss for the general gay population as times change and the Flinders hasnt changed with the times.
If you’ve ever been to San Francisco you will have seen that it has gay & lesbian venues to cater for all tastes and crowds. The Castro alone has about a dozen. Melbourne has better venues than Sydney – personally I like the Laird the best. I miss the days when we had a choice of venues in Sydney. With what is left now in Sydney, I just couldn’t be bothered. It would like to see more neighbourhood venues, away from Oxford Street.
“quiet gay pub/lounge”
I see so many of those in UK and American movies and I always wish we had them here.
Yeah a quiet gay pub/lounge which focuses on an earlier time slot would be great.
Mark B. Thats a great idea. A nice place where you can sit and have a quiet drink and not have boring Trance music thumping, Drags lip sync, and silly competitions. Its so 90s time warp these venues.
Hopefully not another piece of Sydney’s gay history being lost…
We can afford to lose this pub: it’s grunge.
Anyway, it’s not the quantity of pubs but their quality that counts.
I have a radical idea – why not a quiet gay pub/lounge?
I know, this is totally off the planet: no drag shows, no screaming music, no hard metal interior surfaces, but a Parisian Euro-chic pub instead.
There’s a thought.
We use it…or we lost it…
I have never seen a venue that has been so badly managed as the Flinders. Fancy having a Gay Bar that opens only Friday and Saturday .It only opens for four hours Sunday from 4pm to 8pm. That is just heading for disaster. I remember the days in the 70’s and 80’s when the Flinders was a hive of entertainment and was one of the best bars in Sydney.
Maybe now things may change.I do think it must stay a Gay Pub as the Beresford a straight pub is just around the corner. Put on the right entertainment and it will be a goer. I would like the opportunity to manage it.
It’s a shame to see the Flinders shut but it’s been struggling for some time now. The Bears on a Friday was very crowded at the Flinders so hopefully the layout of the Oxford will prove a better space.
Splitting the Friday & Sunday Bear gigs between two venues, i.e. Fridays at the Oxford and Sundays at the Lord Roberts is a good move, especially given the outdoor space at the Lord Roberts for a lazy Sunday afternoon chill and drink.
Wasnt a very friendly place. So its no surprise.