NSW DISCOVER VOUCHERS MAY BE USED FOR THIS EVENT - SEE SEE BELOW FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
Former detective Duncan McNab is live and talking Bourbon, Beef and Bernie… from 6pm.
With the hoarding soon to surround the Bourbon and Beefsteak it’s about time have a look at the man that made it world famous, and one of the most enigmatic of the many enigmatic habitués of the Cross - a Texan called Bernie Houghton.
Bernie opened the Bourbon in 1967 with 24hour licence to sell booze and offer a good time. Not long after, the first US troops arrived from Vietnam on R&R, and their first stop after the airport was the Chevron in Kings Cross to get their briefing. For most, the next stop was for the pleasures of Darlinghurst Road, with Bourbon open and waiting to greet them with US style home cooking and cocktails. Bernie also opened the Texas Tavern in Macleay Street. He did for food and booze what Abe did for the art of striptease..
After serving WW2 , Bernie, like so many others, knocked around the country, but in the early 1960s saw adventure and opportunities opening up in SE Asia because of the Vietnam war. He spent around three years there trading allegedly in anything from slot machines to opium and it was where he got the rumour of links to the CIA’s clandestine operations in the region. In 1967, following a tip that R&R was about to start, Bernie was in the Cross and ready welcome the troops. One estimate has it they spent $9m per month (around $75m today) there. The Bourbon was also a favoured late night watering hole for police, politicians, the underworld and CIA luminaries just passing by.
Bernie’s colourful reputation took on some notoriety when he became involved with the shifty Nugan Hand Bank - allegations of arms dealing, tax evasion, money laundering and so on followed. Bernie, it the middle of the furore, took a a brief sabbatical overseas, returning when investigations had gone nowhere. He was nicknamed The Three Fingered Banker (he was missing a digit). He was also known for his charity & generosity - he gave around $1.5m to charity, and was famous for pay musicians well above the going rate and often in advance. Two years after his death in 2000, a bust to remember his charitable work was placed in Fitzroy Gardens.
Join Brandy and Duncan on an amble through the life and times of this extraordinary character who is such a compelling part of Kings Cross history.
Tickers are $25.
Limited tickets, get in quick!
To pay for this event with a DISCOVER NSW voucher please enter the code DISCOVERNSW in the ‘discount code’ field at the check-out. Your ticket will be held under your name and the voucher will be redeemed in venue before the talk. If the voucher has been used already by time of redemption, full payment will be required. To use multiple vouchers you must book each ticket separately and let us know in the comment section if the booking is part of a group, please note you may only use 1 of your NSW DISCOVER vouchers for each individual event.
YES, this is a lot of hassle but it’s the only system we have from NSW to give the people free things.