It's been described as the end of an era as another old-school pub closes its doors in Canberra.
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The Valley Tavern in Wanniassa apparently called last drinks for good on Sunday night.
It has been a fixture of the Wanniassa shops for years, known for its tinted windows, cheap schnitzels and a tradie and dog seemingly always sitting outside.
One comment on Facebook suggested the lease on the building on Rylah Crescent had ended and not been renewed.
Comment is being sought from the owner but in the meantime, an industry insider said it was becoming increasingly difficult for taverns to compete against clubs and their poker machines in the ACT.
"The government does nothing for taverns, it only cares about the clubs," the person said.
The insider said she understood the Valley Tavern had been completely stripped inside.
She said pubs needed to have other attractions such as Keno or a TAB outlet but were denied those additions as the government gave preference to clubs. Patrons appreciated not having poker machines in pubs, she said, but if they came in alone, something like Keno or the TAB was something for them to do.
"I've been in this business for nearly three decades and when I started there was something like 112 taverns and 49 clubs in Canberra and now it is the complete opposite," she said.
Punters on Facebook were shocked by the closure of the Wanniassa tavern, with comments ranging from "WTF?" to "RIP Wanni Tav".
