Australia is a leader in smoking bans.
Smoking is banned in most transportation.
ACT banned smoking from most restaurants effective Dec. 2005; New South Wales in September 2000; Victoria in 2001.
Tasmania pubs and clubs are slated to go smokefree in 2006, Queensland pubs and clubs supposedly by 2006, NSW, Victoria and South Australia by 2007.
See the ASH Australia link under Other Resources for up-to-date information. Listings are still welcome. SFW tries to list venues which actually comply, rather than track laws rigorously.
A.C.T.
Recent (3/2000) welcome information from an Australian correspondent:
Just about all ACT restaurants and cafes are smokefree inside.
A small handful of restaurants are exempt,
but other than restaurants within licensed clubs, "friendly
Canberra offers wonderfully smoke-free dining."
Even licensed clubs have non-smoking dining areas
although smoke from the non-dining areas tends to drift in.
The ACT Smoke-free Areas Act of 1994 required night clubs, bars, clubs and licensed premises to be smoke-free unless given an exemption. The transitional period ended in late 1998.
There are a couple of smoke-free pubs
and some make their entertainment areas smoke-free
on many evenings. Some venues are listed here because of personal recommendations or because it has been publicized that they went out of their way to accommodate nonsmokers. .
CANBERRA
All Bar Nun
O'Connor Shops, McPherson Street 02 6257 9191
Popular tapas bar with live music. Occasionally film screenings.
Mon-Tu 3pm-? / Wed-Sat noon-?
Bobby McGee's Restaurant & Night Club
1 London Circuit (Rydges Hotel) 6257 7999
Open daily.
Tilley's
Brigalow & Wattle Streets (Lyneham) 02 6247 7753
Cafe/restaurant (breakfast, lunch and dinner and drinks) and music. See the web site for bands.
WODEN
Southern Cross Club
Bistro and performance space (the entertainment room
is nonsmoking for big functions).
Thanks Terri!
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VICTORIA
Smoking banned from restaurants as of July 2001.
Thai Garden
690 High Street Road, Glen Waverley (03) 9886 3488
Authentic Thai cuisine. Licensed & BYO. Dinner Tu-Sun. (closed Monday)
CARLTON
Arc Cafe
160 Rathdowne Street tel (09) 349 3933
Upscale, BYO.
Baked Potato Cafe
114 Lygon Street tel (03) 9639 4545
Vegetarian spuds, burgers & salads.
La Luna Bistro
320 Rathdowne Street (Carlton North ) tel 9349 4888
Excellent Italian cuisine, popular and noisy. Family friendly. Moderate prices.
Tu-Sun noon-3pm & 6pm-10pm / Sat-Sun 9am-10pm
Nyonya Malaysian Restaurant
191 Lygon Street tel (03) 9347 8511
Shakahari
201 Faraday Street tel (03) 9347-3848
Vegetarian restaurant with a menu of imaginative range.
Not cheap (fortunately they take credit cards). Drinks available and BYO.
MELBOURNE
6 Links
Basement, 228 Flinders Lane tel (03) 03 9650-2977
Stylish new lounge bar - one of the first in Melbourne to be 100% smoke-free. Aromatherapy oils piped throughout. Great drinks and decor. High-speed wireless internet.
Corner Hotel
57 Swan Street (Richmond) tel (03) 9427-9198
Smokefree as of December 2006 (or whenever renovations are done).
Live rock and jazz.
Dizzy's Jazz Club and Wine Bar
90 Swan Street (Richmond) tel (03) 9428-1233
Gopal's Restaurant
139 Swanston Walk tel (03) 9 650 1578
Hare Krishna vegetarian restaurant.
Manchester Lane Jazz Club
36 Manchester Lane tel (03) 9663-0630
Max's
123 Collins Street (Grand Hyatt Melbourne) tel (03) 9653 4882
Upscale, elegant, quiet dining. Note: No-smoking *sections*.
Mon-Fri 12 noon-2.30pm / Mon-Sat 6-10.30pm
Northcote Social Club
301 High Street tel (03) 9489-3917
Live music and bar
SOUTH MELBOURNE
Cafe Sweethearts
263 Coventry Street (South Melbourne Market) tel (03) 9 690 6572
Popular, cheery coffee shop.
No headbanging music. Drinks also available.
Open daily for breakfast and lunch.
Colonial Tramcar Restaurant
What it sounds like, a restaurant on wheels. 5-course meals. Reservations recommended.
Est Est Est
440 Clarendon Street tel (03) 9682 5688
Upscale, family friendly European-style restaurant and bar.
Mon-Sat 6.30pm-10.30pm
SYDNEY
Bodhi
436 Sussex Street (Chinatown) tel (02) 281-9918
Vegan restaurant, Chinese cuisine.
Daily 10am-3pm / 5pm-10pm
Clarence Hotel/Bailey's Bar
450 Parramatta Road (Petersham) tel (02) 9560 0400
Bistro and improv/comedy club
TOORAK
Cafe Latte
521 Malvern Road (Hawksburn) (03) 9826-5846
More than the name implies. Along with the espresso you get substantial continental meals and a selection of wines. Also does nice breakfasts.
Daily 8am-3pm / Dinners Tu-Sat 6pm-10pm
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OTHER RESOURCES
ASH Australia
Source of information on laws.
BMX Ultra - The ultimate BMX racing website from Melbourne, Australia
Great site on BMX racing in Australia with an active interchange on smoking in racing. If you thought that there was something weird about advertising images of athletes smoking, you're not alone. Also has neat dirt bike pictures.
Quit List of Restaurants - Victoria
As of July 2001 all Victorian restaurants are supposed to go smokefree.
But you don't have to wait - Quit lists restaurants and cafes that are smokefree
now.
Smokefree Victoria
List of smokefree venues & info for venues considering going smokefree
Non Smokers' Movement of Australia
There was a list of smokefree restaurants here but it has been taken down, because NSW has now passed leglislation banning smoking in restaturants. The big grey area now is smoking at cafes with tables on the footpath.
Cultural Note:
We were told in no uncertain terms that Australia is NOT part of Asia or any other continent Australia is its Own Continent. We asked if this included New Zealand, and after a moment's hesitation, New Zealand was admitted. Other parts of the Southern Hemisphere were tacked on. Boundaries became fuzzy (this was well into a bottle of wine). "Oceania" was bandied about, but not to universal agreement. Another Australian suggested linking from "Asia-Pacific". Hoping this is ok, or at least buys us time while we try to understand this complicated world, we are, yours humbly, etc.
