In the heart of Ballard in Seattle sits a unique establishment — the Kangaroo & Kiwi pub, the only place in the state of Washington dedicated to Australian and New Zealand culture. Although Ballard is historically considered a Scandinavian neighborhood, it attracted Australian expats because of a combination of affordable housing, a maritime spirit and the proximity of neighboring pubs where rugby fans gather. A small Australian community of roughly 2,000–3,000 people creates a noticeable cultural presence, especially during sports broadcasts and Australia Day celebrations.
Housed in the grand neoclassical former Carnegie library, the pub greets visitors with a life-size statue of an Australian bushranger, a shark above the door and walls hung with Australian souvenirs. The building is part of philanthropist Andrew Carnegie’s legacy — he funded the construction of seven libraries in Seattle in the early 20th century. Five of those survive today, some repurposed as offices, museums and restaurants. That legacy symbolizes the city’s early flourishing of public education. You can watch the Seahawks or the Mariners here, but regulars know there will always be soccer, rugby and cricket too.
The proprietorial touch of Bradley Howe, an Australian from Harden-Murrumburrah, is felt in every detail. Only here can you find a bottle of Australian beer like Coopers Pale Ale, and the signature dish is the meat pie, which Howe calls “Australia’s equivalent of the American hot dog.” Over 25 years the pub has evolved from an expat nostalgia project into a true community hub, where people celebrate not only weekdays but major life events.
2024 was a special year for the pub: it celebrated its 25th anniversary, and it will be a gathering place for fans during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Australia’s national team will meet the United States on June 19 at the stadium now called Lumen Field — a corporate name that has changed with sponsors: it was previously Seahawks Stadium, then Qwest Field, then CenturyLink Field. The stadium, just a few miles away, is the home of the Seattle Seahawks and hosts MLS matches. For many Australians and New Zealanders living in Seattle, there’s no better place to watch the game.
Howe grew up in the countryside southwest of Sydney. “Sport was everything: cricket, rugby — anything you could play to keep yourself occupied,” he recalls. That sporting upbringing shaped his future. In 1993 he moved to Seattle for a Ballard woman and a dream inspired by American pop culture and the music of Bruce Springsteen. Having worked in music stores in Australia, he decided the best place in the ’90s was Seattle, the city of Nirvana and Pearl Jam.
Over time Howe began to long for Australian pub culture. He knew almost nothing about the restaurant business, but he understood fan passion and the power of pubs as meeting places. After attending rugby broadcasts at the George & Dragon in Fremont, he saw a niche: a spot for Australian and New Zealand expats to watch their favorite sports. Fremont — a bohemian neighborhood known for its Fremont Troll (a huge sculpture under a bridge), an independent movie theater and craft breweries — attracted an expat community with its liberal atmosphere, affordable housing and concentration of small businesses.
Together with British restaurateur Patrick Conlon, Howe opened Kangaroo & Kiwi on April 25, 2001, on Aurora Avenue — a major thoroughfare known for a seedy reputation: prostitution, drug dealing, low-quality motels. Mentioning that address underscores the contrast between prosperous Ballard and the troubled corridor. The first customers were mainly British, Irish, Australians and New Zealanders seeking a taste of home. Seattle Times critic Nancy Leson, who worked at the paper from the 1990s into the 2010s, noted then that patrons “were happy to tuck into a juicy Aussie pie — comfort food for the soul.” The Seattle Times remains the city’s principal daily newspaper shaping cultural conversation, despite competition from digital media.
In 2012 the pub moved into the historic former branch of the Seattle Public Library on Market Street. The building, designed in the Classical Revival style by architect Henderson Ryan and funded by Andrew Carnegie, opened in 1904 with a men’s smoking room, a ladies’ parlor and an auditorium for 500. Vacant for several years, it was a perfect fit for Howe: “This is the place,” he decided after his first walkthrough.
Most architectural details were preserved: Carnegie’s name is carved on the frieze above the entrance, a pool table stands in the former parlor, and a children’s corner with board games sits in the former ladies’ room. Howe left the building’s structure largely intact, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of Australian pubs, where you can eat, watch a game and spend time with family in one place.
The pub is open to all ages until 9 p.m., which attracts tech workers from the Eastside — cities east of Lake Washington: Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland, home to Microsoft, T-Mobile, Nintendo of America and many startups. These high-earning IT professionals, many of them Sounders fans, are willing to make the trip across the lake to Ballard. Young expats who later start families also come here. New Zealander Craig Simm recalls that nearly 30 years ago, when he wanted to leave Seattle, someone told him to stop by the George & Dragon. “I met Brad there, and we ended up standing up for each other at our weddings,” he says.
Howe aims to make the pub a community center, sponsoring local rugby teams and organizing events like Christmas-in-July parties in honor of the Southern Hemisphere. “There’s no reason to say no to anything,” he says. “We’re lucky to have this space, and people love it.”
The Australia–U.S. match at the 2026 World Cup promises to be the pub’s biggest event ever. Howe at first did not believe it when a friend predicted this match
Based on: Seattle’s Kangaroo & Kiwi gears up for Australia-U.S. World Cup match