ATIPIK PUB

Montreal’s New ‘Australian’ Pub, Ayers Rock, Draws Criticism | Eater Montreal

"I find the choice of the name “Ayers Rock” for a new Crescent Street Australian-themed bar poorly chosen and a little offensive: it references the sandstone monolith now primarily known as Uluru, a site of deep spiritual significance to many Indigenous Australians, and the colonial-era Ayers Rock name has largely fallen out of use. Several Australians in Montreal told me they found the name distasteful, and the bar’s French owners—who claim to have travelled in Australia—come across as out of touch with Australian culture and society. Uluru was officially added to the name in 1993 and became the primary name in most contexts by 2002, so using the older moniker feels dated; combined with reports that the Montreal edition may not even sell Australian beer and the choice of a washed-up Crescent Street location, the whole venture reads as tacky and likely to be seen as an embarrassment by local Australians." - Tim Forster