During the 70s and 80s the hotel began to establish its reputation as an important Aussie music icon, with Cold Chisel, AC/DC, The Little River Band and The Angels all playing here during the early days of their careers.
One of the periods that has had much attention and is referred to often are the days of Jimmy Barnes with Cold Chisel. Born James Dixon Swan (and better known as Jimmy Barnes) he holds the Largs Pier Hotel as a special part of his history and naming the bar Dixons is a fitting tribute to him.
The Largs Pier – The Pub That Rocked
The late Vince Lovegrove, talented muso, band manager and journalist, and his wife Helen ran the entertainment side of the venue in the early 70s, Helen recalls “One memorable night we had Rose Tattoo, Lobby Lloyd & The Coloured Balls”.
According to legend, Bon Scott, in the early days of his career lead singer with the Valentines, later with Fraternity and who became internationally famous as the lead singer of AC/DC, met his wife at the Largs Pier Hotel after a gig in 1971.
Jimmy Barnes returned to the Largs Pier in 2011 and reminisced about the good times he’d had in the “wild rock’n’roll pub”. Ref: adelaiderememberwhen
Established in 1882, the Largs Pier has long been an imposing landmark overlooking the Le Fevre Peninsula. Its three-storey bluestone structure with stuccoed arcades on all levels, elegant archways and its grand staircase, are all symbols of elegant craftmanship from a bygone era.
For years it served as a haven for shore-hungry sailors and as a landmark to port. Ship captains could set a course by the lights of the hotel which could be easily seen far out to sea. Ref: Largs Pier Hotel website
*Opening of Largs Bay Pier, Railway and Hotel.
The opening ceremony in connection with these works took place on Saturday afternoon last when, at the invitation of the Largs Bay Company, several hundred people assembled to celebrate the occasion.
On the arrival of the train from the Port, conveying the official party, the Hon W Everard, Chairman of Directors, declared the railway and jetty open.
The speech of the afternoon was given by the Hon W Morgan who proposed "Success to the Largs Bay Railway," and in doing so strongly commended the enterprise displayed by the Company, who had spent about £60,000 upon the works they saw. He spoke of the railway as being the quickest piece of work ever done in the colony, it having been completed in twenty-three working days. The Company, he said, had shown the Government how to construct a railway and jetty.
Most of the party returned to the Port by the train, some however, remaining to inspect more closely the works which have been carried out.
Of the Pier we may remark that it is 21 feet wide for 1,850 feet in length, and 50 feet for 250 feet further. At the outer end there is 19 feet depth of water at the lowest tide. The structure is of Jarrah timber. At 1,700 feet from the shore there is an L head with a breakwater attached to it, on the west side. Gas and water are laid on, and there are a dozen of comfortable hooded seats at intervals along the jetty, whilst at the T head there are seats to accommodate 200 people. Messrs Baillie, Davis, and Wishart were the contractors for this extensive work which has cost about £25,000.
LARGS PIER HOTEL. This handsome structure stands at the street corner facing the pier and the railway platform.
The building is in the Italian Ornate style of architecture and is three stories in height. It occupies a site 117 feet by 95 feet and is surrounded by an arcade 10 feet wide, being finished in cement. The basement floor is 14 feet in the clear from floor to ceiling, and the first floor and second floor each 13 feet. The basement floor contains a large public and two private bars, a coffee room, commercial room, dining room, two private parlours, kitchen, scullery, pantry, and storeroom. There is also a fine large billiard room furnished with two of Alcock's best patent table with adjustable toes. There are two large entrance halls to the hotel: one from the esplanade 10 feet wide, and one from Government Road 8 feet wide, at each of these there is a handsome vestibule screen with highly embossed glass, and elegant Minton tiles.
There is also a staircase hall 16 feet square, running through the whole height of the building and lighted at the top by a magnificent lantern light. A grand staircase communicates with the upper floors. It has a double and single flight on the first floor and two single flights on the second floor. The whole is composed of Kauri pine treads and rises, and polished cedar handrails and balusters with ornamental cast iron vessels. It is supported by large cast iron columns, which are beautifully bronzed, running the whole height.
The second floor contains fifteen bedrooms, two sitting rooms, two baths, and two water closets. It has fine roomy passages, and ventilation has been most carefully and effectively studied throughout the building, the lighting also being excellent. There is a fire plug on each floor, and the water has been so laid on that in the event of anything going wrong in the communication with one floor, it will in no way interfere with any of the other floors. The hotel is fitted up with electric bells of the newest principle, and speaking tubes communicate with the different portions of the house.
To the architects, Messrs Bayer and Withall, greatest praise is due for their excellent conception in the design of the building: and of Mr T U Bowes, the superintendent of the work. Ref: Port Adelaide News (SA)Tuesday 26 December 1882.
