Hotels and Pubs, Published 4 July 2026
The Breakfast Creek Hotel – Brisbane's Pub of Legends!
Few pubs in Australia can match the stories of Brisbane's iconic Breakfast Creek Hotel.
Built in 1889 and officially opening on 17 May 1890, this magnificent French Renaissance-style hotel has been welcoming thirsty Queenslanders for more than 135 years. But it's not just the architecture that's legendary...
It's survived some of Brisbane's biggest floods! During the catastrophic 1893 flood, the hotel stood in around 2.1–2.4 metres (7–8 feet) of water. The upper floor became a refuge for locals escaping the rising Brisbane River. It was flooded again in 1898, 2011 and 2022, proving this old pub is every bit as resilient as the city itself.
Then there's the resident ghost... Former Brisbane Mayor William MacNaughton Galloway, who built the hotel, died after falling from a second-floor window in 1895. Ever since, staff and patrons have claimed to see or hear his ghost wandering the original parts of the hotel, making it one of Queensland's most famous haunted pubs.
And what about the famous "Beer Off The Wood"? The Brekky Creek is one of the last pubs in Australia still serving XXXX from traditional wooden kegs. In 1977, when the brewery planned to replace them with steel kegs, loyal patrons launched a campaign to save the tradition - and they won! Nearly 50 years later, those timber barrels are still in use, giving beer lovers a genuine taste of Brisbane history.
From wharfies and politicians to tourists and ghost hunters, generations have gathered here for a cold beer, a legendary steak and a story or two.
Have you ever enjoyed a Beer Off The Wood here..? Leave a comment below
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