Australian Venue Co apologises after announcing it would axe Australia Day celebrations in 2025

The company behind some of Perth’s most popular pubs and bars has been forced to apologise for causing “concern and confusion” after it announced it would ban Australia Day celebrations at its venues nationwide.

Australian Venue Co told its managers at the weekend it was axing Australia Day celebrations next year because the day caused “sadness for some members of our community” and “hurt for some of our patrons and our team”.

But on Monday, the company issued a statement walking back from those comments.

Australian Venue Co — which owns more than 20 WA venues, including The Raffles Hotel, The Court and The Claremont Hotel — is owned by Asian Private Equity Group PAG.

“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,” a spokesperson said.

“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 9600 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.”

Pubgoers Chelsea Forrest, 22, and Tom Toovey, 23, who were enjoying a drink at one of the group’s establishments, The Galway Hooker in Scarborough, on Monday, said they hadn’t celebrated Australia Day in “years”.

“I think it’s great (the ban) and I’m glad it’s happening all at once,” Ms Forrest told The West Australian.

“I think it’s a big enough push and it’s good to see there’s enough public sentiment.

“It was really good to see that Woolies isn’t selling Australia Day (merchandise) anymore and it’s kind of sad that not many other places are behind it.”

Mr Toovey said it was crazy people still celebrated Australia Day on January 26.

“I think it’s insane that people still celebrate it knowing the history behind it,” he said.

Marie Demey, 20, said the move to boycott Australia Day celebrations was a “step towards peace”.

“English people invaded Australia not a very long time ago and Aboriginal people are really traumatised,” she said.

“The fact that people are celebrating that day is very disrespectful ... it’s a very good decision and a step towards peace and loving towards the people of this country if pubs ban the celebrations.

“Owners of venues should be able to do whatever they want to do, but it’s really good that they’re encouraging not celebrating the day.”

But Kurt Draper said venues that did not celebrate Australia Day were “complicit” in the broader idea that Australia did not deserve to be commemorated.

“If you deny people the ability to celebrate their country, it’s a serious issue,” he told The West.

“We live in Australia, and to celebrate is a good thing no matter where you come from ... sometimes it’s not all to do with heritage, sometimes it’s about (what’s happening) here right now.

“To deny it is a real problem and the bars and pubs that choose not to celebrate are complicit in the grander idea that we shouldn’t celebrate here we are today.

“(Australia) gives everyone amazing opportunities and to not celebrate that is completely wrong.”

Veteran publican Karl Bullers, who owns the National Hotel and Old Courthouse in Fremantle and recently opened the Exchange Hotel in Pinjarra, was taking a horses for courses approach.

“Australia Day is complicated,” he said.

“We don’t do much in Fremantle as it is more culturally sensitive than most areas and does not attract the huge crowds it used to a few years ago.

“We ‘celebrate’ the public holiday rather than actual Australia Day.

“Pinjarra is a bit different, so, yes, we will have Australia Day celebrations there, however, they won’t be huge as (nearby) Mandurah goes large with a big budget.

“Being our first one (at the Exchange Hotel) we don’t really know what to expect.”

Earlier on Monday, Indigenous leader Warren Mundine labelled the ban “ridiculous” and said business owners shouldn’t be telling employees how to celebrate the day.

“If people want to celebrate, they should be allowed to do that and not have their bosses telling them not to celebrate Australia Day,” he told 6PR.

“Australia Day is not about Australia, it’s about the migrants who came here.

“I’m sick of these corporates who hate Australia, who hate Australians and think we’re all a bunch of racist knuckle draggers ... when it comes to celebrating a country where people built a nation that was prosperous, they don’t want to.

“When someone comes along and says to your staff, ‘Happy Australia Day’, smile and thank them, because I bet you a lot of their staff are not happy because they like to celebrate Australia Day as well ... it’s just some corporate idiot who’s given them this directive.”

It comes after Woolworths found itself at the centre of a firestorm earlier this year when it confirmed it would not stock any Australia Day merchandise.

Full list of Australian Venue Co pubs in WA

• Bentley Hotel
• BrewDog Perth
• Civic Hotel
• Cobblers Tavern
• Durty Nelly’s Irish Pub
• JB O’Reilly’s
• Leopold Hotel
• Lil’s
• Market Grounds
• Quarter Acre Hotel
• Raffles Hotel
• Scarborough Beach Bar
• Sweetwater Rooftop Bar
• The Aviary
• The Bassendean Hotel
• The Claremont Hotel
• The Court
• The Galway Hooker
• The Generous Squie
• The Globe
• The Guildford Hotel
• The Parkerville Tavern
• The Peach Pit
• The Peninsula Mandurah
• The Royal on the Waterfront
• Victoria Park Hotel
• Woodbridge Hotel