Pubs have been at the centre of our Aussie culture almost from 'day 1' in Australia. The first Pub license in Australia was granted to James Lara in 1797. In 1810 a census conducted by Governor Lachlan Macquarie indicated Sydney had a population of 6156 and had 75 Pubs. That equates to one Pub for every 82 people. As time progressed and Australia went into the Gold Rush era one could be forgiven for recalling the Lord Tennyson verse - The Charge of the Light Brigade. History buffs will be familiar with the verse: cannons to the right of them, cannons to the left of them, cannons in front of them. In the Gold Rush era in Australia it was Pubs to the right of them, Pubs to the left of the, Pubs in front of them.... Pubs, Pubs, Pubs, Pubs and more Pubs. Tiny villages, like Hillend near Mudgee in New South Wales (that now has one solitary pub), had a population of 8,000 people. It was served by two newspapers, five banks, eight churches, and twenty-eight pubs!