Grand Junction Hotel — Restaurant in Newcastle-Maitland

The beers are $4 when it is happy hour at the Junkyard. There are about 10 people drinking at the junkyard. 5 or so people sit at the bar. Most of whom are wearing hi-vis, a few are wearing poorly fitted business attire, which by Maitland standards is a collared shirt bursting at the seams and trousers, which are too big or too small. There’s a table just behind the bar where the retired barflys sit.

The bartender is in her early twenties. She has the junkyard at the palm of her hands.

Conversation reverberates throughout the junkyard. There is a communal conversation and individual conversations amongst different groups of people sitting at the bar. It is difficult not to hear every word. The retired barflys are in the midst of their own conversation. “Bill has to see his cardiologist for a stress test on Wednesday. On Thursday Bill has to see his gastroenterologist for a colonoscopy. I’ve had 3 colonoscopies.”

As you finish your beer the bartender simultaneously pours you another beer whilst asking if you want another beer. She knows most of the people sitting at the bar by name. The ebb and flow of conversation is ultimately controlled by her. There is no established alpha male sitting at the junkyard bar count. The content of the conversations is not important. It is the intent of conversation which is important. The intent of conversation at the junkyard is to live vicariously through the bartender or to try and establish yourself as the alpha male at the junkyard.

At the Junkyard you can be passive and still be participant in the conversation. Aside from when it comes time to ask for another drink I remain silent.

One of the barflys says to me “You’re a cop aren’t you?” I look him in the eye, have a sip of my beer and grin.

The other passive participant is some bloke who was released from Cessnock gaol earlier that day. He has his change in piles. A different pile for a different denomination. His prison release papers are stained with beer and next to all his piles of change. Every 10 minutes or so he leaves his prison release papers and change unattended to go to the train station and check when his train will be coming. Every time he does this there is no certainty if he will come back to collect is prison release papers and meticulously piled change. He always finishes is beer before checking when the train will come.

Finally, the bloke who was released from prison decides that it is really time to go. He collects his prison release paperwork, but leaves the piles of change behind. The piles of change are a tip for the bartender. “$34. That’s almost 2 hours pay.” The bartender has the piles counted, placed in the till and replaced for notes quicker than she can pour a schooner of beer. After the bartender has counted her tip there is no decorum in talking about the bloke who was released from prison.

Happy hour at the junkyard is indeed a...

I like to officially complain about he junction.hotel in regards to cloe at the grand junction on wed 27 of September I was accused by a pateon at the hitel about being banned but there was no proof I was banned and cloe supported I should leave. there no due process about the police kick8ng me out. of the premises it ruined me b3ing there . for me not to tarnish the repertation of the grand junction for all thous years I want the person to accuse me to be banned from the hotel otherwise I have recluse to see it legally to defamatory c9mm3nts about me and the person who was there cloe about it. I won't stop because I was discriminated against. if I don't get any reply with8n 7 days I'll GOTO my solicited and f8le a formal complaint against grand junction. cloe and th3 person who accused me on the nite them mentions post gets deleted then I'll complain to off8cial channels to the hotel licencing board as I...

This place at the moment is under new management and what a job they have done in keeping with the historic feel and atmosphere and catering for the people who patronize the venue not to forget any and all visitors as well which has made this hotel and I'm sure well in to the future one of the best loved pub's in Maitland and the Hunter. The staff well you don't get better your best mate garenteed before you leave the food is first class by hotel standards and the entertainment will blow you away and the atmosphere which comes to this place on band nights is truly something to experience a must for any local or visitor to the area. Five stars if you can't enjoy your self at this place'...