The Tote
January 19 2010 — Sophie Cunningham
I've been to the Tote but I've never been a Tote diehard. However I was interested by Clem Bastow's and Marieke Hardy's take on the pub's closure. While the Tote may yet be saved, I am extremely interested in how policies such as the Liquor Licensing Laws shape the culture of the city (which leads me to commend to you the Hardie Grant book, Melbourne: The Making of a Drinking and Eating Capital). The 6 o'clock swill ruled Melbourne longer than most other Australian cities - they were finally changed in 1966. Since 1988 Melbourne's had an edge on Sydney when it comes to places to drink, partly because it has been more possible to open smaller places. As you can see in the way the pokies rule Sydney pubs, when the laws become over regulated and expensive, you're left with corporations running pubs.
In Melbourne there are two competing trends going on: the trend towards family-owned pubs, and the way in which the hysteria surrounding drinking and violence is encouraging a return to more draconian laws. I don't mean to suggest that these attacks, particularly on young men, aren't very concerning - indeed I have blogged before about the terrible consequences of such violence for one of my students, James Macready-Bryan (you can donate to the James Macready-Bryan Foundation here). But, as always, heavy-handed and reactive policy making, that isn't thoughtfully managed, is not the answer.
Update: The Tote may be saved yet.
If you're reading this from interstate, watch the video below. Then you'll find out how seriously we take such matters in Melbourne.
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