If The Walls Could Talk
Our Story
Every old country pub has a few stories to tell. At the Tatt's, we’ve been collecting ours since 1885. Name changes, travelling buildings, champion racehorses and the odd patron getting a little too carried away—it’s all part of the history of this iconic Winton pub.
Standing on the corner of Elderslie Street in Waltzing Matilda Country, Tattersall’s Hotel has watched generations of locals and travellers pass through its doors. The faces have changed over the years, but a good yarn and proper country hospitality have always been right at home here.
Where It All Began
The first hotel on this site was built in 1885. Back then, it was called the Winton Hotel, with John Farrell holding the licence. In 1886, the name changed to Tattersall’s Hotel, beginning a chapter that would last the next 94 years.
For a brief spell from 1980, the pub became the Combo Hotel before returning to Tattersall’s. To the locals, though, it’s simply the Tatt's—a familiar name for a place woven into the fabric of Winton.
A Building That Made The Journey
The existing ground floor was built in 1885, but the upstairs has a story of its own. By 1914, a second storey had been added after being transported from the goldfields of Charters Towers to Winton.
Moving part of a building across outback Queensland would have been no small undertaking. But it gave the Tatts another chapter, creating the two-storey pub that became a familiar sight on Winton’s main street.
Look closely today and you’ll find plenty of character in the old building. The leadlight fanlights above the doors are newer additions, thoughtfully made to suit its age and era.
When Turning On The Lights Called For A Party
In December 1898, the Tatt's lit up with acetylene gas, a big enough occasion to make the Gregory News.
The newspaper described the hotel’s brilliant appearance and reported that publican T. J. Noonan planned a dance the following evening to celebrate. Mr G. McCall had handled the fittings, bringing a new glow to the old pub.
These days, switching on the lights doesn’t usually warrant a party. Back then, it sounds like a pretty good reason to round up the town.
The Wall Family & A Winning Racehorse
Many publicans have held the Tatt's licence over the years. One of the longest-serving was Annie Bella Wall, who ran the hotel from 1939 to 1955.
The Wall family’s story stretched beyond the pub. They also bred and raced Auction, a crack sprinter who won numerous races in Brisbane, including the 1942 Doomben Newmarket Handicap.
Auction carried 10 stone 12 pounds to that victory—a hefty weight and a fair effort. It’s a memorable piece of racing history connected to the family who spent 16 years looking after the Tatts.
A Yarn About Tom Healy
One of the pub’s more colourful tales comes from the 1920s and involves Tom Healy, associated with the famous Charge of Beersheba.
As the story goes, Tom was drinking at the Tatts when he produced a revolver and fired a couple of shots into the ceiling. Everyone scrambled for cover, and Tom earned himself a ban from the pub.
The bullet holes were reputed to have remained in the ceiling for years. Whether told across the bar or passed between generations, it’s the kind of tale that sticks with an old country pub.
History On The Walls
You don’t have to dig through the archives to get a feel for the Tatts’ past. Take a wander through the pub and you’ll find old photographs, agricultural relics, rustic gear and quirky bits and pieces that catch your eye.
Together, they reflect the character of the town around us: cattle and sheep stations, opal mining, long journeys and the people who helped shape Winton. There’s plenty to look at, plenty to wonder about and always something you didn’t notice last time.
Still Adding To The Story
More than 140 years after the first hotel opened here, the Tatts is still a place where locals and travellers cross paths and stories get shared.
Our history lives in the building, the photographs and the memories passed down through the years. It also lives around the horseshoe bar, where a conversation can take you from station life to opal discoveries and back again.
Pull up a stool and settle in. There’s plenty of history here—and always room for another yarn.
Come On In
Whether you’re a familiar face or rolling into Winton for the first time, there’s a stool for you at the Tatt's.
Come for the history, stay for the food and get to know the locals along the way. With lunch and dinner seven days a week, an iconic horseshoe bar, pokies and Keno, a stocked bottle shop and caravan accommodation across the road, we’ve got plenty of reasons to make us part of your trip.
