Oxford Tavern to shut on April 2: Petersham pub closes as Odd Culture boss chose not to renew lease
A much-loved Sydney pub has announced it will close its doors forever in another blow to the city’s nightlife scene.
The Oxford Tavern in Petersham, a popular inner west Sydney venue known for its nightlife and beer garden, is closing for good this Sunday.
Odd Culture Group acquired the venue in 2019 before relaunching the refurbished pub less than a year later.
On Thursday, it announced that April 2 would be the venue’s last day.
The company told Daily Mail Australia it came to the difficult decision not to renew the lease of the venue as it instead focused on an upcoming expansion into Victoria.
Much-loved Sydney pub, the Oxford Tavern, has announced it will close its doors forever this weekend after owners opted not to renew the lease, another blow to the city’s nightlife scene (Photo: Oxford Tavern)
The Oxford Tavern has a long and rich history that began with topless barmaids and exotic strippers before undergoing a makeover and becoming an institution for Petersham locals and the gay community alike.
It was also one of the few pubs that didn’t have a single poker machine.
Venues are increasingly starting to ditch the machines despite subsidizing the price of food and drink.
According to the most recently available statistics, Australians lost more than $11.4 billion on poker machines in a year, according to Melbourne’s Monash University.
In a statement, Oxford Tavern said the venue was a ‘life saver’ during Covid lockdowns but it was time to ‘end this chapter’.
“This pub has always held a special place in our hearts – a space for our people to march to the beat of their own drums and create the wild and wonderful queer-colored programming that resonated with the Inner West,” read the declaration. .
“We’re proud of everything we’ve put into the Tav. It’s been a wild ride, but the time has come to end this chapter.
The Oxford Tavern has a long, rich history growing out of topless barmaids and exotic strippers before undergoing a makeover and becoming something of an institution for Petersham locals and the queer community alike
“This Sunday, April 2, is our last trading day before handing over the reins.
‘For a bit of fun we’ll rake up the kegs, spirits and other good stuff, in a glorious toast to a glorious pub. We like to see everyone here for a closing drink.’
James Thorpe, CEO of the Odd Culture Group, previously said the venue was one he frequented when he was younger and had always wanted to own.
The company will now turn its attention to Melbourne, with its first location opening in May, in what Mr Thorpe says would be a unique iteration of its Newtown location.
The closure of Oxford Tavern is yet another hit on Sydney’s nightlife scene, following the closure of several late-night hotspots.
The closure of popular venues comes days after HiWay Enmore, a popular spot for local artists, announced they would close effective immediately.
The mid-west live music bar was liquidated as a result of more than $110,000 in Revenue NSW from a Covid-19 aid loan.
Billed as the ‘premium venue’ for emerging artists, the bar joins the famed Frankies Pizza as one of several much-loved music venues that have recently closed.
The company Odd Culture Group told Daily Mail Australia it came to the difficult decision not to renew the lease of the venue with the focus instead on an upcoming expansion into Victoria
According to Liquor and Gambling NSW data, there are still only 133 live music venues in the state.
A 2018 NSW parliamentary inquiry found that 176 sites had closed in the previous four years.
The increasing number of venues forced to close their doors was compounded by Covid lockdowns from which many, like Hiway, never recovered.
In addition to about $110,000 still owed by the venue in Covid loans, the Australian tax office owes another $24,000 from the downtown bar.
“It never came back right and the director who was the largest creditor was not satisfied with endless more money, so he decided to close it,” said Steven Kugel, Hiway’s appointed liquidator.
The NSW Labor Party announced in February that, if elected, they would introduce Sound NSW – similar to Screen NSW – as well as a host of protections and funds to boost the state’s live music scene.
Labor has pledged to lay out a 10-year plan to strengthen the industry, alongside $100 million in funding and laws that would extend trading hours, reduce licensing fees and protect venues from noise complaints.