The Star was in the Cameron family for nearly 80 years when in 1934 Lena Campbell agreed to sell it to Tooth and Company Limited.
The drag shows and all male revues performed at the Star were so popular that it led to a bigger stage being built.
[1][2] In the 1970s the Star became a popular pub for young people, university students and for the performing of live music.
Don Graham took over as the licensee in December 1973 and decided to introduce live rock and roll bands six nights a week.
[3] The Star quickly became the place to visit with many famous bands playing at the hotel with Benny and the Jets being closely associated with the establishment.
The hotel had been in disrepair and Tooth and Co. claimed it was financially better to demolish the building rather than upgrade it to the standards required by the licensing authorities.
This inspired a protest campaign and patrons were able to arrange a petition that gained 10,000 signatures but this was not enough to stop the closure of the hotel.
[3][5] At 10 pm police cars, paddy wagons and the big prison van drove through the crowd on King street and stopped outside the bar.
[6] General duties officers had to sort out the traffic problems caused by the larger than normal crowd numbers and enforce the hotel's 10 pm closing time.
[7] Police who first attended the Hotel made their way through the crowd and into the back bar, where one officer signalled to the band to stop playing.
One of the police officers grabbed the microphone stand and shook it several times hitting lead singer Pete de Jong in the mouth.
[3][5][6] Heroes band members included Pete de Jong (vocals/guitar), Mark Tinson (guitar/vocals), Jim Porteus (bass/vocals), Phil Screen (Drums).
[5] People left the back bar and joined the huge crowd in King Street, where even more numbers were increased by spectators from the nearby Newcastle Workers Club, who came out in hundreds to see what was going on.
Keith Campbell the superintendent of the Hunter District Ambulance Service reported that 22 people were taken to the Royal Newcastle Hospital with no serious injuries, only cuts and bruises.