KOOROORA READY FOR REDEVELOPMENT IN OCTOBER 18 September 2018 Historic changes at Mt Buller are underway this Spring with the redevelopment of the iconic Kooroora building in early October. The highly anticipated project is going ahead following the strong pre-sale off the plan. Stage 1 will include retail spaces, a new pub and car parking in ready for winter 2019, to be followed by prestige apartments on the upper levels for winter 2020. Spokesperson for Kooroora Holdings Martin Ansell said, “This bold $40m development is generating plenty of excitement in the Mt Buller community and shows the confidence and optimism we are seeing on the mountain right now. Our team is eager to get started and ensure Stage 1 is complete and ready to throw open the doors for opening weekend of the 2019 snow season.” The Kooroora building is well-known as home of the legendary Kooroora Hotel, affectionately known as the “Hoo Ha”. The pub famously plays the Dean Martin classic “That’s Amore” ahead of closing the doors each night and has been the site of many celebrations since it opened back in 1953. The original Kooroora built by Ernest and Aurel Forras burned down in 1961 and the current building has stood in the village welcoming guests since 1962. The current licensee for the Kooroora Hotel Joe Maisano is preparing a big celebration for the final day at the pub starting with a grand final breakfast, celebrations all day and a last “Last HooHa Hoorah!” on Saturday 29 September, after which it will close the doors for the final time. “The Kooroora is quite simply where Mt Buller parties. It’s the social heart of the village and there are decades of memories and stories inside these walls. Saturday 29th September will be a special night. I am sure people will talk about the final night at the ‘Hoo Ha’ for years to come and my team looks forward to sending this legendary venue off in style. A few nostalgic tears might be shed when “That’s Amore” plays for the last time,” said Maisano. Works on the demolition ahead of the Stage 1 development will commence immediately after the final night. The developers plan to conserve some elements of the legendary pub and salvage a few special items that reflect the rich history of the venue. Enquiries: info@kooroora.com.au
Well the old place was always a dump, even way back in the 1980s when I first went there as a kid. So while I'll be sad to see it go for nostalgic reasons, almost any replacement will probably be a lot better for the drinking public.
Sorry, Buller in-joke. I grew up with Marty and we've had many messy nights at the Hoo Ha. But yes he copped a lot of shit for that surname as a kid. He "married well", I'll leave it at that.
Repost of old Kooroora shots from the 50's before it burned down. Kooroora Chalet Entry Kooroora Chalet Kooroora Deck Kooroora Entry Kooroora with Icicles Kooroora Chalet
Found these one a while back Was when it still had a swimming pool next door Here http://www.victorianplaces.com.au/taxonomy/term/1190
Place always smelled like stale beer and vomit to me, but I only did two seasons at Buller, at the Whit actually which always smelled of mildew and mould to me.
Well, before most of you were born, I was skiing Buller. Big, big dump. 1981. July I think. Stayed at the the UniMelb lodge. I am not sure if the Roota is in this shot, I took one day. It is from a hopelessly underexposed (dark) slide I took then, scanned and forced to look somewhat respectable. Snow hit 3.5m that year, about 2.3m here in this shot. Of which 1 metre fell in the two and half days I was there.
Sorry I'm not sad to see the old Koroora go. With due respect to all K devotees, It's a visual blight on the Village square area and really should have been dozed a decade or two ago. I can only hope the accopanying Backpackers is modernised or rebuilt with it. Our budget skiers deserve better. But this a great development for the mountain - I look forward to the grand opening. ASAP!
Maybe they'll keep the urinal for that authentic Hoo Ha smell, that seems to have expanded from only near the toilet doors into the entire middle third of the venue lately. The news of 'Prestige apartments' sounds like bad news to me. With the YHA gone, there's no options for those who just need a cheap bed to crash on overnight. Sad. Buller was always more chill to me, and Hotham for the rich and snobby. Looks like they are determined for that to change. EDIT: I should add that I am well aware Buller Backpackers is the worst accomodation in Australia and way overpriced for what it was, but if you didn't bring luggage or plan on showering (or getting that much sleep) it was adequate for it's purpose.
My husband worked at Koorora in the bar for a season, around 1971 I believe He maintains his bed was a mattress in a cupboard!
Hoo Ha was a ****ing dog turd baked in the sun on a cow pat. The single redeeming feature was the circular fireplace, but in later years they were so ****ing tightass to put wood on it that it was always barely lukewarm. Everything else about the place was an actual tip. I reckon they'd be able to use the floor as some sort of pressure-sensitive superglue. The mix of resin from the timber, beer, sweat and puke from the patrons, over the course of about 30 years seems to have resulted in a substance with exceptional tack. For all I care they could bulldoze it and put a carpark or a playground there. Actually, they could move the rubbish dump to that site and it would make the site smell better than it did when the hoo ha was standing. It's hard to put into words how much of a shithole the hoo ha was. Perhaps i've been burnt too many times in there, chatting up 'babes' on the slopes only to see them without helmet, goggles and beanie on and realise they're uglier than me, that my dislike for the venue is so high.
I kinda feel i'm a 'you know what you're gonna get' guy. Not many surprises, one way or the other. But shit, i'll be the first to admit i've been stooged at least once on the slopes. Could be worse, a mate of mine banged some chick early on one of the seasons he was up there, then stuck with her for the season because she was a hairdresser and he got free hair cuts. She was not great.
Would have had to be one of the most profitable businesses on the hill during ski season. Packed every Friday and Saturday nights.
I reckon I didnt spend that much there, as the lodge was so close and you would drink up before heading over and most of the time the beers I bought there were just to keep me going, not fill me up. Even the beer didnt taste 'right' there most of the time.
It was just another pub. A bit special because it was "at the snow" amongst people with shared interests but really not unlike any other boozy joint full of boozy Aussie shenanigans. No offence intended but I recall you being a pretty shy kid when I first met you. It doesn't surprise me if you found it overwhelming. I man whored to ridiculous levels at Kooroora one season as a bet with another douchebag off here. It was good fun. Some of it I'm not proud of. There's lots I do and don't remember but I wouldn't trade any of it. "Gotta slay a few dragons before you find your princess/prince charming" and the Hoo Ha was a fun place to embark on that quest.
Every place with a soul needs a dive like this pub was, Buller will be less without it. Would be like taking the Corner Hotel out of Melb
My favourite story is that a certain well known magnate who had an apartment nearby would get so pissed off with the noise emanating from the Hoo Ha in the wee small hours on a weekend, that he would go over there and pull their fuses.
