The Down Under Club was first listed in the 'GPU News' newsletter/ magazine in its December 1976 issue, in its "Ads by the Inch" page (since the GPU News didn't have a Bar listing). Due to printing leadtimes, it's likely the bar had opened in September or October of 1976. The April 1977 issue of 'GPU News' had the ad "Joshua loves Cliff/ Cliff loves Joshua/ Come to the Down Under Club".

The May 1977 issue of GPU News contained a full page article and photo, "Down Under Bar is Born in La Crosse". The article mentioned that bar's first annual gay extravaganza, held April 1st-3rd. The weekend, entitled "A Bar Is Born", was planned and directed by owner Patrick Trussoni and manager Joshua Oliver. Located about midway between Chicago and Minneapolis, the festivities were planned as a means of introducing gay talent from the Chicago area to the upper Wisconsin and Minneapolis areas. According to the article, over on thousand people were in attendance over the course of the weekend.

The bar's success appears to have been very short-lived (about 6 months). The bar was gutted by fire on the last Sunday of April 1977 (April 24)-- just 3 weeks after its extravaganza weekend. According to the June 1977 issue of GPU News, "A recently installed dance floor, a beer garden, and the upper floor and bar were destroyed".

We have thus far been unable to locate any reference to the bar in other Wisconsin LGBT media, so it's likely the bar never reopened. The bar was listed only in the 1978 issue of the Damron national gay guide, but disappears from Damron after that. It does however appear in the 1981 and 1982 GAIA national Gay guides, likely due to early reports that were not removed after the fire.

More information about this business is welcomed from anyone who can contribute it.

Listings in early "Gay Guides": (For more information on the Guides, click here.)

1978 Bob Damron's Address Book (Young crowd, Disco, Dancing)	1981 GIAI's Guide (Seventh Edition)	1982 GIAI's Guide (8th Edition)