Oak Haven Brewery

The original land owners of the Gosford area were the Fagans. Their interests included farming, citrus orchards, timber, cattle and champion race horses. They were the first to grow oranges locally and they lived at what is now Henry Kendall Cottage. Ernest White was the founder of Gosford RSL. The first RSL members would meet at the Brisbane Water District Club at the rear of the Anglican Church in Broadwater Avenue. The land was donated by Dr James Paul who provided the premises on the condition that no liquor was to be sold there. The crafty members complied with this condition to the letter by buying coupons which were then exchanged for beer or spirits at the bar to ensure that no alcohol was technically ‘sold’. The bar was a basement full of beer. Beer was hard to come by so it was transported from Lithgow and Mudgee.