Old Canberra Inn
Canberra's oldest licensed pub, an 1857 timber slab building in Lyneham with two private function rooms taking 25 and 75 guests, plus beer gardens and open fires.
Old Canberra Inn Canberra's oldest licensed pub, an 1857 timber slab building in Lyneham with two private function rooms taking 25 and 75 guests, plus beer gardens and open fires. Inner North LynehamThe Old Canberra Inn predates the city it is named after. Joseph Schumack built the original slab hut in 1857 from round timber poles clad with handmade vertical slabs, and it served as a stop on the Yass to Queanbeyan mail coach run before being licensed as an inn in 1876. It spent nearly a century as a family home before being restored and relicensed, and it is now Canberra’s oldest licensed pub.
Two function rooms are available for private hire. The Schumack Room is the larger at up to 75 guests with a minimum of 30, and the Kookaburra Room suits more intimate gatherings of 20 to 25. Both sit within the heritage building, with its low ceilings, open fires and worn timber, and the pub’s beer gardens extend the space outdoors in warmer months. It is a natural fit for birthdays, engagements, wakes and work functions that want character rather than a ballroom.
Highlights
- The Schumack Room takes up to 75 guests (minimum 30)
- The Kookaburra Room suits smaller groups of 20 to 25
- Built in 1857 from handmade timber slabs — older than Canberra itself
- A coach stop on the Yass to Queanbeyan mail run before it was licensed as an inn
- Beer gardens, open fires and a long-standing local following
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Last updated 8 August 2026