The Windy Mile pub to shut following death of Patrick Cronin

A once-popular pub in Melbourne’s north has spent the past three years struggling to stay afloat following the shocking coward punch death of teenager Patrick Cronin. Now, despite calling last drinks the owners have plans for a new venture.

The Windy Mile pub is reopening as a venue space. Owners Jake, Cathie, Tommy, Brett and Patrick Murphy are bittersweet about the change.

The Windy Mile pub in Diamond Creek has “never been the same” since teenager Patrick Cronin died from a senseless coward punch at the bar almost three years ago.

The well-known venue will shut its doors at the end of the month after pub owner Brett Murphy said the business was no longer financially viable.

“I took it over four years ago and it was going nuts — we were booked out in full all of the time,” he said.

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“Then there was Pat’s coward punch and from that day on the Windy Mile was affected.

“It was the first serious incident we had and we noticed business declined immediately.”

Mr Murphy said a lot of the clientele at the Windy Mile knew Patrick Cronin and his killer, Andrew Lee, and hadn’t returned to the venue since the fatal pub brawl in April, 2016.

“It was a good third of the clientele and as a local business you just can’t succeed with those numbers,” he said.

“We invested a lot of money to keep it going, but it never got back to the way it used to be.

“It’s devastating for us because we really believe it was the best place in Diamond Creek to have a beer.”

The Murphy family say they are devastated to close the Windy Mile pub, but are excited about their new business venture in Eltham. (L-R) Tommy, Brett, Jake, Cathie and Patrick Murphy.

Mr Murphy said many young musicians across Diamond Valley played their first gigs at the Windy Mile pub.

“From there they’ve gone on to do bigger things — there’s a lot of history at the place,” he said.

“And for me, my main friendship group is from all the regulars who came and all the musicians who played live entertainment.

“All of my kids have been involved there as well.”

But Mr Murphy said he and his family were looking forward to their next business venture at the Eltham Craft Kitchen and Bar.

The Diamond Creek family took over the venue on the Australia Day weekend last year.

“We’re aiming to bring the same concept over to the Eltham Craft Kitchen and Bar,” he said.

“This is why we are in the industry, because we enjoy watching people having a good time, so we hope to bring that over here too.”

Mr Murphy said he planned to renovate the Windy Mile into a function hall.

The Windy Mile will close as a pub on Sunday, March 31.

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