This week the Laundy family’s hotel dynasty celebrates another milestone and hard yards along the way, with an anniversary event at home base the Twin Willows championing a battling champion, Geoff Robinson.
The story of Laundy Hotels begins with Arthur Laundy Sr, who found himself in an orphanage at age six when his parents divorced. An enterprising man, he worked odd jobs and hustled where he could. Marrying wife Veronica, he listed his occupation on the marriage certificate as ‘lift driver’ at the swanky Asper flats in Macquarie Street.
The couple entered the pub game in 1945, purchasing the Sackville Hotel, and later the Crossroads. In 1962 they took the next step and began building the large-format Twin Willows Hotel on several acres in Bass Hill, opening it in 1964.
A couple of years later they acquired the Royal Exhibition Hotel, in Surry Hills, which a young Arthur Laundy (Jr) took over in early 1966, just prior to the introduction of decimal currency.
Arthur Sr was an avid pilot, and secretary of the AHA golf club from the mid-50s until the late 60s.
In 1969, a routine flight to one of his regional hotels saw the plane crash into a reservoir, killing all on board. It wasn’t until 1980 the outline of the plane was detected in the lake.
Arthur Jr was in Italy playing rugby when he got news of the crash. He rushed back and has been at the Twin Willows ever since. His mother continued to live at their residence in Point Piper until her passing in 2012, aged 97.
In the early 70s Arthur bought his own first pub, Lisa’s, before going on to his first freehold, the Hume at Yagoona.
He recalls that for his first 15-20 years the practise was he didn’t spend a dime, running them on personality alone and largely into the ground. Assets were leveraged and mortgaged, to buy the next one.
Nearly 30 years ago a bright young woman named Robyn Gumbley came to work with the growing Laundy group. Highly capable in design and architecture, Robyn was brought in to revive the tired pubs.
She went on to become Arthur’s PA for many years, and played a crucial role in the design and construction of the award-winning Marsden Park Brewery & Hotel – even as her health was deteriorating.
At the ceremony for the opening of the Marsden, an emotional Arthur spoke kind words, unaware Robyn was watching via videolink from hospital in Dallas, where he had flown her for specialist treatment.
Sadly, Robyn passed away on 14 January this year, just weeks after attending a Laundy family celebratory dinner at the Red Lion.
“She was a marvellous girl … a very clever girl,” says Arthur.
“As well as being a beautiful person, she was a beautiful lady. And she was an integral part of my hotel life.”
Arthur was attending a recent lunch with HTL finance consultants Rick Woelms and Kim Cramp (with whom he stressed he is very impressed and does all his finance), when one of a group at the adjacent table recognised the pub baron.
The man regaled the story that he had lived in Orchard Road, Ball Hill – directly across from the Twin Willows – and his childhood memories of Arthur Laundy Sr flying in and landing his helicopter in the back lot, leaping out dressed as Santa, crying ‘Ho, Ho, Ho’ and dishing out treats.
“You could hardly see the place for kids,” the man recalled. “Your father was just the most amazing man, Mr Laundy.”
This memory was of an institution, where every year, on the weekend closest to 14 December, an anniversary celebration would take place at the Twin Willows. It was always on the Sunday, as pubs were closed.
Arthur Sr would get staff members, his wife and son, and they would all hand out ice creams and give toys to kids.
Around the time Arthur Jr began in the family business, he was becoming friends with two young Chester Hill league players, Geoff Robinson and Terry Lamb.
Robbo, or ‘The Wild One’, as he was known, became famous for his powerful play, as well as his long black mane, beard and often dishevelled appearance.
Débuting in first-grade in 1977, he played predominantly front-rower in a 139-game first grade career in the 1970s and 1980s for Canterbury-Bankstown, capped by three grand finals and premiership wins in 1980 and ’84.
The only pub Robbo would drink at was the Twin Willows, and as the star of the team, the rest followed him there.
“He was always right there with me whenever I was in an argument at the pub,” says Arthur.
The legend front-rower is now 63, joined by wife Janine, seven kids and 16 grandkids.
Sadly, he recently revealed an ongoing battle with throat and tongue cancer that has required a heavy course of treatment. His fearsome 92kg frame is down to only 64kg.
On Friday, 17 December the Laundy clan will come together to commemorate 57 years at their favourite pub, and celebrate the life and times of a life companion. A who’s-who of football heroes are clearing their dance cards to attend.
“I’m 80 now, and Lamby and Robbo have become my closest friends, for almost 50 years now,” adds Arthur. “Robbo’s one of those fair-dinkum blokes.”
The Laundy operation of 2021 finds new help from Arthur’s daughter Danielle and her husband, Shane Richardson, back from working at Coca Cola, Stu involved in the group’s new Woy Woy operation, the Bayview, and daughter Justine and her husband Nick Tindall setting sail with their own emerging fleet of hotels, in partnership with the group.
Justine has taken up the mantle of design and decoration, aided by Suzy Laundy, wife of Arthur’s son and former MP, Craig, and their son Charlie, overseeing marketing projects in head office.
Arthur laments that his father never saw any of his grandkids and that they didn’t always get along (because they were too similar in personality, he says) but beams the Twin Willows is really where Laundy Hotels began.
“I just wish he was around to watch how we’ve gone from there. It’s been a fabulous hotel … it’s been a launching pad.
“He was a great father and great mentor, and I’ve very proud of my mum and dad’s start in the industry.
“I was like a winger in the team, they threw me the ball and I’ve just kept running, and I just try to run them the way my dad did.”
