Landlords have taken possession of Mount Gambier's only nightclub as well as a pub known for hosting the mysterious Tantanoola tiger.
The owner of the Shadows Entertainment Complex changed the locks of the building in Mount Gambier on Monday, the day before the Tantanoola Tiger Hotel also suffered the same fate.
Shadows' building was owned by the late John King, and now his brother — local businessman and health board chair Grant King — is the executor of his estate.
The nightclub has mostly been closed since March 2020, when hospitality venues across Australia were forced to shut because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Grant King's lawyer John Williamson said Shadows' owner, Dean Gentile, had failed to pay $9,000 in rent for February and March 2023.
Mr Williamson said this was a breach of the lease so the owner had taken possession of the property on Penola Road.
Mr Gentile declined to comment, on advice from his lawyer.
Same fate for Tantanoola pub
Local Luke Kompo reopened the Tantanoola Tiger Hotel in 2021 but the landlord changed the locks on Monday.
"Unpaid rent is the cause. Not much I can do about it. So this is it for the Tant pub," Mr Kompo posted on Facebook.
"Some of you will laugh, some will cry, some will be glad! I can't really put in to words everything I would like to say. But I would like to thank everyone that supported us. Thank you for the good times."
The Tantanoola Tiger Hotel contains the stuffed remains of what is believed to be a European wolf that was shot in the area in the 1890s after killing farmers' sheep.
Experts believe it may have escaped from a circus or a shipwreck.
Pubs an important meeting place
The Bellum Hotel at Mount Schank closed in January and has been for sale ever since.
Owner Brian Morris said negotiations were underway with a potential buyer.
He said it was too hard to compete with pubs in Mount Gambier that were part of larger companies and had a large number of poker machines.
"The tyranny of distance, the freight costs would all go into the price makes it hard for the smaller hotels to compete with hotels that are part of a bigger group," he said.
"The next thing of course is that you've got a hotel with a large gaming business, well, they tend to be able to sell meals cheaply and they use that as a way of attracting customers."
Peter Norman used to go to the pub every day to talk with mates.
He said he was very disappointed when it closed.
"It’s a very, very important part of the community to come and meet people and discuss the problems of the district and know the prices of cattle and sheep and milk and crayfish," Mr Norman said.
"It’s very, very important to keep up with all those dos and meet your new neighbours and say goodbye to people that leave the district.
"It’s a very important hub, socially."
