North Sydneys oldest pub still trading today.

The original Rag & Famish Hotel was established in 1860.

Corporate

The Rag & Famish Hotel is the flagship property of the Calligeros Hotel Group and represents an ideal blend of classic Australian pub heritage with state of the art services and facilities.

The Rag & Famish Hotel was established in 1860 and is the oldest pub in North Sydney still trading.

The hotel building is heritage listed, ensuring its rich history and the story of its very first publican will be maintained for generations to come.

History of The Rag

In January 1816, Charles Bullivant, a dashing young ensign of the 46th Regiment, sailed into Sydney with 218 males convicts under his command.

Later, while still a junior officer in the 46th, he often participated in the favourite military sport of the day baiting Governor Lachlan Macquarie for his sympathy towards ex-convict settlers as opposed to the respectable monied men patronized by George Molle, commanding officer of the regiment.

Bullivant once went so far as chalking a full length caricature of Macquarie in a position of ignominy on the guardroom wall. This earned him a reprimand and a threat of a court martial. When he retired from the 46th he became a publican.

He married Maria Ikin, mother of his three children and by 1930 the family settled into the Three Crowns on the corner of Charlotte Place (now Grosvenor and Cumberland Streets).

It was not until 1860 that he opened the Rag & Famish Hotel, just opposite Francis Lords house on the corner of Miller and Berry Streets in North Sydney.

Some say he chose the name to demonstrate his feelings about the armed services but it was, in fact, a nickname for the army and navy club (the rag being the flag). The artist John Leechs amusing characters Ensign Rag and Captain Famish were also well known at the time.

The historian Isadore Brofsky had another theory, that the name came from the quote if you come here too often you will waste all your substance and you will be in rags before you die.

Whatever its origin, it has outlived most other colonial pub names, for even though the Rag & Famish was rebuilt and renamed the North Shore Hotel in 1892, it reverted back to the original Rag & Famish in later years.

Recent Developments

The Rag & Famish has been under the current family owner/operators for 30 years and their love and passion for this gem is obvious in the pride they have taken to ensure its rich heritage is maintained and continued for many drinks to come!

The Rag has become an important part of the North Sydney community, patronised by both residents and workers alike and the hotel owners are committed to maintaining The Rags position as one of the north shores finest examples of classic Australian hotel history.

The hotel is continually upgraded to meet the demands of the discerning market and features state of the art av, pos and operating systems.

The highly trained staff create a friendly but extremely professional level of service through all areas of the hotel and the owners and managers alike are committed to providing customers with consistently high standards of food, beverage and entertainment service.

The nautical heritage of The Rag is reflected in the memorabilia throughout the hotel.