Birdsville, Betoota, Conargo: Inside Australia’s best bush pubs
Down dusty roads and in the hearts of small towns are country Australia’s best pubs. Vote for your favourite watering hole here.
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From hidden gems to well-known watering holes, here are 30 of most iconic and best bush pubs across the country, as chosen by The Weekly Times and our readers. Vote for the best in our poll below, or tell us if we have missed a pub that should be on the list.
QUEENSLAND
Betoota Hotel, Betoota
Possibly best-known for the satirical news site, The Betoota Advocate, Betoota is Australia’s smallest town and has just one building – the Hotel.
After more than two decades closed and with no beer, the hotel was revived and reopened in March 2020.
Birdsville Hotel, Birdsville
An icon of the Outback, the Birdsville Hotel is one of the best and most-recognised in Autralia.
Built by William Blair in 1884, it has seen floods, fires and cyclones.
It was completely refurbished in 1980 by Kym Fort and David Brook after a fire tore through the hotel, and has been owned by Courtney and Talia Ellis since January 2020.
Blue Heeler Hotel
It’s believed The Blue Heeler Hotel is where Banjo Paterson first performed his famous bush ballad Waltzing Matilda.
The famous billabong that Paterson wrote about in the ballad the Combo Waterhole is 22km south east of the pub.
Royal Eromanga Hotel, Eromanga
The town, and the pub, that stakes its claim as the furthest from the sea in Australia.
Nindigully Pub
The Nindigully is Queensland’s oldest hotel, licensed in 1864 after operating as shearer’s accommodation for the Nindigully Station.
Today, it is famous for its big ‘Road Train’ burgers, which feeds four hungry people, and the popular Pig Races fundraising event held every November.
Walkabout Creek Hotel, Mckinlay
As Mick Dundee would say: ‘That’s not a pub, this is a pub’.
The Walkabout Creek Hotel has been made famous for being the pub Crocodile Dundee was filmed.
NSW
Conargo Hotel, Conargo
Famous for its bumper stickers, the iconic NSW Riverina pub burnt down in November 2014 and is being rebuilt.
Established in 1853, the pub was a popular meeting place for jackaroos across the region.
One The Weekly Times reader said she could hardly wait for the pub to reopen. “It’s looking just like it did over 100 years ago, “ she said.
Ettamogah Pub, Table Top – CLOSED
The original Ettamogah pub was built by Lindsay Cooper and first opened in 1987. It was based on the Ken Maynard’s cartoons in The Australasian Post.
Other Ettamogah pubs have popped up over the years including at Kellyville in Sydney, Caloundra on the Sunshine Coast and in Cunderdin Western Australia.
The Pub with No Beer, Taylors Arm
Despite it’s name The Pub With No Beer has more than enough with 16 on tap, but that wasn’t always case, as legend would have it, it once ran out.
Local timber cutter and song writer, Gordon Parsons immortalised the story in what became one of Australia’s most famous songs, A Pub With No Beer recorded by Slim Dusty.
Silverton Hotel, Silverton
This famous pub has been featured in many films from Razorback and Wake in Fright to The Slim Dusty Movie, blockbuster Mission Impossible II and the Aussie classic The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Rub shoulders with the famous faces that adorn the walls inside too.
VICTORIA
Beverford Tavern, Beverford
Old fashion friendly country service is what you’ll find at the Beverford Tavern, according to The Weekly Times reader Jacinda Croft.
“It’s a place where everyone is welcome,” she said.
Dederang Hotel “The Ranga”, Dederang
“The heart of the local community,” is how The Weekly Times reader Darren Allsop described ‘The Ranga’.
“The publican provides support to many community groups and local sporting clubs. There’s Joker Poker on a Friday night, a footy tipping comp in the winter, wood fired pizzas on Friday and Saturday nights, and it’s a great venue for a party,” he said.
Kalima Hotel, Lakes Entrance
Despite having travelled across the, there is no place like the local for The Weekly Times reader Gary Power and his wife.
“Coming home to Lakes Entrance and enjoying the atmosphere and refreshments at the Kalimna is where you will find the views out over the Gippsland Lakes while enjoying the hospitality of the owners a great way to spend a couple of hours,” he says.
Kevington Hotel, Kevington
The hotel was built in the 1860s during the gold rush era and over the years has played host to various famous visitors.
The pub was given the nickname the Kevington Hilton after a visit from one of the family members of the famous Hilton hotel empire.
“They hit it off with my grandfather (who was the owner at the time),” publican Wayne Poole said. “They had a few drinks and on the Sunday morning he christened it the Kevington Hilton.”
Leitchville Hotel, Leitchville
Looking for the coldest beer in Northern Victoria? Then according to The Weekly Times reader Matt Hawken head to the Leitchville Hotel.
Located adjacent to the Gunbower Island along the Murray River “the pub has hosted raucous celebrations for many local sporting triumphs over the journey,” Matt says.
“Led by publican Ryan you experience fantastic customer service and welcoming social atmosphere.”
Matt says the famous fox whistle has claimed many unsuspecting first timers at the watering hole too.
Leura Hotel, Camperdown
The Leura Hotel has been revived by Marlin and Caitlin Walsh who operated a butcher shop and then a steakhouse in nearby Cobden. They saw potential in the Leura and brought their Steakroad business, and some much-needed sizzle, back into the old pub.
Each week they go through about 100kg of scotch fillet, 40kg of porterhouse, 40kg of rib eye and 60kg of eye fillet.
McEvoy Tavern, Eldorado
This tiny pub in North East Victoria packs a big punch.
It holds the title of the smallest bar in the state – measuring about one and a half metres long. It’s title the pub has held for three decades after the pub was sectioned off from the general store.
Patchewollock Hotel, Patchewollock
Located along the Silo Art Trail in North West Victoria, this pub ticks all the boxes The Weekly Times reader Pete McCarthy says.
“Patrons are always made to feel welcome, the wwner is very community-minded, there are nice indoor and outdoor areas and a great variety of meals,” Pete says. It’s also dog friendly.
Redesdale Hotel, Redesdale
This beautiful old blueston pub is one of the favourites of The Weekly Times reader David Barlow.
“There is nothing like having a cool drink on a warm afternoon on the veranda under the grape vines on a hot summers afternoon. There is always a bunch of interesting characters in the bar.
Royal Hotel, Sea Lake
The Royal Hotel was saved by the community after it was closed for a few years. The Weekly Times reader Adrian Fitzpatrick says the local community got together and formed a co-op, they renovated the pub, the men’s shed made a bar and they enticed a quality chef to town.
“Great Mallee hospitality,” Adrian says.
The Tooborac Hotel and Brewery, Tooborac
The Tooborac Hotel takes the honour of being the oldest National Trust listed country pub in Victoria. It was built in 1857 and today also is home to a brewery.
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Mungerannie Hotel, Birdsville Track
With chopped off locks of hair and hats hanging from the roof, the Mungerannie Hotel is one of the quirkiest.
When people kept leaving things behind publican Phil Gregurke started cutting chunks of people hair, putting tags on them and hang them from the ceiling.
It’s also filled with rows upon rows of hats on the rood in the front bar, mostly from people who worked on the Birdsville Track.
The Pink Roadhouse, Oodnadatta
The Pink Roadhouse is a one-stop shop for travellers through the Simpson Desert, with a fully licensed cafe and restaurant, post office and car workshop, as well as caravan park and cabins.
The bright pink roadhouse is hard to miss, and an icon of the Oddnadatta track.
While there try their famous Oodna burger, or their camel sausages, or bush tomato and roo sausages.
William Creek Hotel, Oodnadatta Track
William Creek Hotel is a pub in the middle of nowhere, on the way to somewhere, and an icon of the South Australian Outback.
Originally a boarding house, the heritage listed pub was built around 1935 and played an integral role in the town’s railway history.
The railway sleepers of the Old Ghan railway line today form the walls of the restaurant.
surrounded by the huge pastoral station, Anna Creek, visitors head to William Creek for scenic flights over the sale lake of Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre or the remarkable Anna Creek Painted Hills.
NORTHERN TERRITORY
Daly Waters Pub, Daly Waters
With a colourful history, and an equally colourful interior, this pub is a must-see on any outback road trip.
Throughout its history the pub has seen witnessed, murders, shoot outs in the main street, cattle stampeding through town.
According to the pub’s website “station owners threatened to burn the place down or buy it and bulldoze it to stop local ringers from riding into town”.
Today, it is known for the dozens of bras that adorn the roof, the flip flop archway and the man other items travellers have left behind.
The tradition of leaving your mark on the pub is believed to have started in the 80s when a bus coach driver bet his female passengers they couldn’t drink a certain umber of beers, and if not had to leave their bra behind.
The Humpty Doo Hotel, Humpty Doo
So famous, a number of songs have been written about it, The Humpty Doo Hotel, has put the small Top End town on the map.
Built in 1971, the hotel features in a number of bush ballads including Ted Egan’s The Man from Humpty Doo and Slim Dusty’s Humpty Doo Waltz.
Having survived Cyclone Tracy in 1974, it is believed to be one of Northern Territory’s longest continually licensed premises.
The iconic pubs website also claims to have the world’s biggest set of water Buffalo Horns above the bar.
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Dwellingup Community Hotel, Dwellingup
The Dwelly Pub is Western Australia’s only community-owned hotel. It has been opened since the early 1900s and was one of the few buildings to survive the 1961 bushfires.
Whim Creek Hotel, Whim Creek
The iconic inn is the town’s only attraction and a stopping point for travellers from Karratha to Port Hedland.
It was originally built in 1886 to cater for local miners.
Despite surviving cyclones and white ants, the pub is currently closed.
TASMANIA
Pub in the Paddock, Pyengana
Home to Priscilla the beer-drinking pig, The Pub in the Paddock is a Tassie icon.
Located in the remote North East, the pub is one of the oldest in the Apple Isle, licensed since 1880.
Visitors come from all around to share a beer with Priscilla who has become a celebrity over the years, and loves her specially watered down ale.
Lilydale Tavern, Lilydale
Looking to go off-grid and have a chat with locals? This is your pub. The Weekly Times reader David Lancaster says at his local there “is no Kino, no TAB, no pokies and no Wi-Fi so you have to talk to the people standing beside you’.
It’s a pub where your mix drinks still come out of the bottle, and “yes the beer is always cold”, he says.
Originally published as Birdsville, Betoota, Conargo: Inside Australia’s best bush pubs
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