Stirling Arms apologises after unknowingly accepting booking for neo-Nazi gathering
Guildford’s Stirling Arms Hotel has apologised after halting a private function linked to a white supremacist group that had hired a room at the venue.
The family-focused pub in Perth’s eastern suburbs said it shut down the event on Saturday night once management realised attendees were members and supporters of the Nationalist Socialist Network (NSN). One customer reported feeling “deeply disturbed”.
In a statement posted to social media, the hotel said it was “truly sorry for any hurt or offence” caused and stressed the booking had been accepted without awareness of the group’s affiliations or intentions.
The NSN had promoted the gathering as a forum to outline plans to create a political party called White Australia. In an email cited by local media, the group said there would be speeches covering “a variety of topics including our upcoming political party project and AEC (Australian Electoral Commission) registration, other projects that are underway, our movement in general, and our worldview”.
Venue management said the function was cancelled once the organisers’ identity became clear. The Stirling Arms added that it had “no prior knowledge of what the group was representing before it booked at the venue,” and moved to address patron concerns immediately.
The incident highlights the growing scrutiny on venue vetting and private-room bookings across the hospitality sector, where operators must balance open-door community access with the need to prevent harmful or extremist activity on premises.
Industry advisers recommend strengthening booking questionnaires, verifying event purposes, and including explicit conduct clauses in hire agreements to enable swift termination if misrepresentation occurs.
The Stirling Arms indicated it would review its procedures following the incident to ensure future bookings align with venue values and community expectations.
Jonathan Jackson, 23rd October 2025
