Workers ruminate on the 'Boag's ghost' as brewery reaches end of life

The iconic Boag's Brewery in Launceston, Tasmania, is nearing the end of its operational life, with workers reflecting on its long history and sharing a multitude of anecdotes as production ceases in November. The closure comes after more than 145 years of brewing, making it one of Australia's longest continuously operating brewing locations.

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How much truth was in it or was it because they were having too much beer on shift? Who knows? But there was a Boag's ghost that used to wander around the old workers' bar.

James Boag arrived in Tasmania in 1853 and, with his son, established the brewery in 1881. The business remained in the family until 1976. It later passed through several ownerships, including San Miguel Corporation and, since 2007, Lion Australia, which announced the planned closure.

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People would be sitting there and all of a sudden a door would swing open and things like that.

Among the many tales circulating among staff are those of a "Boag's ghost" said to wander the old workers' bar. Adrian Hinds, who has worked at the brewery for 23 years, recalled hearing these stories, though he never witnessed the alleged haunting himself. He suggested that drinking on the job, which might have fueled such tales, was phased out before his time.

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That was just before my time. When I first started it was very industrial, [but] I sort of missed out on those fun times.

"People would be sitting there and all of a sudden a door would swing open and things like that," Hinds said of the ghost stories. He also reminisced about Oscar, the brewery's former resident cat, who served as the on-site rodent control. "We used to have an on-site cat; he was our rodent mitigation back in the day," he added. Duane Smith, another employee of 13 years, noted that sharing these past tales is an integral part of the brewery's history.

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We [also] used to have an on-site cat; he was our rodent mitigation back in the day. I think his name was Oscar.