Original Liquorland Licensee Celebrates 50th Anniversary

One of Sydney’s longest-standing liquor licensees Michael David is celebrating 50 years with the industry; half a century on from when he received his ‘two gallon’ licence on 14 February 2021 – the same date Australia converted to the metric system.

Over the last 50 years, David and his family have opened 14 of Sydney’s most successful and well-respected bottle shops. David is also credited for starting Australia’s first-ever discount liquor chain and as for being an active member of the industry, including 30 years as member of the Liquor Stores Association NSW board.

“I remember the banks having to close on that day 50 years ago, because they couldn’t handle two currencies at once!” David said.

“In those days, you couldn’t sell less than two gallons of alcohol, so there weren’t any liquor stores – only licensed grocers and very few straight liquor stores – and everyone was really only selling beer, because it was easy enough to sell a dozen long-necks, but trying to sell two gallons of wine, spirits or liqueurs to people was very hard.”

The purchase of Harbottle Brown in the early 1970s marked David and his family’s first venture into the liquor industry.

In 1972, David registered the Liquorland trademark - the name already being used by a number of his stores at the time - and soon after, he and several other retailers in the area formed a group under the banner; the same group that would eventually be bought by Coles and form the backbone of the well-known liquor chain we all know today.

David now continues to own and operate his last remaining store, Elizabeth Bay Cellars, which has grown to become an icon among its local community, focusing on boutique liquors and upmarket Australian wines.

“There wouldn’t be many in our industry who wouldn’t know Michael David”, LSA NSW Executive Director, Michael Waters said.

“Michael has been operating his current store Elizabeth Bay Cellars since the early 1980s and has been a member of the LSA board since around that time. He served as President from 2004 – 2006 and was inducted as an LSA Life Member in May 2011 during the association’s 50th anniversary year.”

David decided to step down from the board earlier this year.

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