A lifetime of happy days

You’d be hard pressed to find a man or woman on the street in Dalby who couldn’t direct you to “Mary’s”.

For years locals have flocked to Mary Barry’s iconic Commercial Hotel on Cunningham Street after a hard days work to share cold ales and tall tales at her bar.

Earlier this year the community joined Mary in celebrating her 90th birthday. A crowd gathered from far and wide to raise a toast to the good health of one of Dalby’s best known and well-loved residents.

Mary has been the proprietor of the Commercial Hotel since 1952, buying out the Queensland Brewery’s share in the business to become the freehold owner in 1986.

With a slogan of ‘Happy Days’, Mary’s has long been a haven for those in need of a refreshing drink, home-cooked meal and place to rest. And when the rooms are full, she has been known to extend her hospitality out into the hallways.

Legend has it that in the wake of the 1981 flood the hotel was like an island where people sought refuge until the waters receded.

“We had mattresses everywhere,’’ Mary recalls. “They were even lined up in the passageways.”

Cementing her reputation as a genuine ‘people person’, Mary has kept loyal staff for years and loyal patrons for longer. She credits her parents with teaching her a very important lesson at an early age, that, “When you live in a community you must contribute to the community.”

This Living Legend embodies that philosophy, donating to many local community services and supporting various sporting clubs.

Mary has been honoured with numerous well-deserved awards in her lifetime, the most prestigious being an MBE from the Queen in 1971 for her outstanding services to the community. Here’s cheers to many more ‘Happy Days’ at Mary’s.

If you know of a Living Legend who deserves recognition in future editions of the @Dalby Magazine, contact Sarah at the Chamber on 4662 4050.