Barry Campany celebrates 80th at Western Star Hotel

Mr Campany returned to the hotel, where he was born on November 9, 1940.

"I was born in my grandparents' bedroom, and delivered by Dr Flowers," Mr Campany said.

"I had some magnificent times in that place, I really did."

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At the time his grandparents, Arthur Ernest and Laura Austin Campany, owned the hotel and are believed to be Dubbo's longest-serving publicans.

"My grandparents bought the pub in 1925, and they sold it around 1954 and they were the longest reigning publicans in Dubbo," Mr Campany said.

"I don't know anymore, but the Western Star is the second oldest hotel in Dubbo, the Commercial is the oldest."

Mr Campany lived with his grandparents at the hotel for 12 years and attended Dubbo Central School.

"I reckon I had the best childhood years anyone could ever wish for, and I had the best grandparents anyone could have wished to have," Mr Campany said.

While Mr Campany said he had many stories from his time at the hotel, he fondly remembers the time he sat out the front and told people there was no beer.

"I was in the bar that afternoon, and one fellow went into the hotel and said 'I won't have a beer today Laura, I'll have to have a whiskey'," he said.

"When my grandmother asked why, he said 'because your pub has run out of beer'."

"My grandfather heard what he said and the bloke went 'yeah your young fella out the front said the pub's out of beer'.

"I remember there was hardly anyone coming in that afternoon because I'd told people the place had run out of beer.

"I got into a bit of trouble, I had to go out the back and feed the horses."

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