Australian pub holds a wet t-shirt contest in honour of The Queen

An Australian pub is holding a wet t-shirt competition to ‘celebrate’ the life of The Queen the night before a national day of mourning. 

The Roebuck Bay Hotel, or The Roey as it’s known by locals, is Broome’s oldest pub and one of the most popular in the town of 14,000 people on Western Australia’s north coast. 

The venue regularly holds Wednesday night wet t-shirt contests but this week’s has been rebranded in honour of the beloved monarch – leading to a wave of backlash on social media calling it ‘distasteful’.

‘Join us Wednesday night for a special Wet T in Oasis Bar to celebrate the life of Queen Lizzy,’ a Facebook post about the event said. 

‘Enter the Wet-T for your chance to win $750. With DJ Sam T on the decks from 8pm party until late into the night!’

Her Majesty died at Balmoral Castle, aged 96, and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has called a one-off national public holiday on Thursday following her funeral on Monday. 

A spokesperson for the Roey’s event on Wednesday said they expected a ‘few hundred people’ to show up and that while no disrespect was intended they could see how some people might be offended.

‘That’s a bit of bad taste,’ one person wrote.

‘Very bad taste,’ agreed another.

The pub in Broome is known as ‘The Roey’ (pictured)  by locals in the 14,000-person strong town

Australia’s national memorial service on Thursday will be held following Mr Albanese’s return from London.

The event will be hosted by television personality Melissa Doyle, with singer Anthony Callea to perform and each of the state premiers and chief ministers, state governors, federal members, senators and opposition leader to attend.

The day was declared a public holiday, leading some business and healthcare lobbyists to complain of short notice and thousands of bookings that would need to be hastily shifted.