Coffee, ice cream, phone chargers: New supply point on Flinders Hwy

After 60 years collecting dust, the Torrens Creek General Store has been revived by a local publican. We drove 3.5 hours to tour the store.

After 60 years collecting dust, the Torrens Creek General Store has been revived by the local publican.

Melbourne-raised Priscilla Harrison now sells barista made coffee, ice creams, basic travel supplies and groceries from the room behind the diesel and petrol bowser points.

Since taking over the Oasis Exchange Hotel in January with husband Cliff, Mrs Harrison had her eyes set on the boarded up former general store right next door.

In August, she finally achieved her dream and opened it up for travellers, making her store the only grocery store between Hughenden and Charters Towers.

“There is an Australia Post store in Pentland which sells a few things,” she said.

“But that’s about it.”

The outside of the pub as it prepared to open the general store in August

The ice-cream has been a big hit among travellers.

“We have a lot of flavours. The ones which sell the most are rum ‘n’ raisin and macadamia,” Mrs Harrison said.

The Oasis Exchange Hotel is now running their hotel and camping grounds through the general store, taking books at the cafe bench.

“All the hotel and motel rooms are booked out at the moment,” Mrs Harrison said.

“We’ve got a lot of truck drivers who stay here, and archaeologists here for some mine exploration work.”

The new Torrens Creek General Store - open again after it closed in the 60s.

With the winter tourist season now over, Mrs Harrison said she was switching gears and focusing on maintenance around the pub, which has been serving beers for more than 100 years.

Inside the Oasis Exchange Hotel

Torrens Creek backs onto the gorgeous wildflower site of White Mountains National Park, and sits on the Aramac intersection which leads to Muttaburra and Bourke.

It’s not uncommon for southern travellers to limp into town with only a few litres of fuel or a drop of water left after unwittingly following Google Maps directions up the Landsborough Hwy.

Thankfully, there is petrol and diesel waiting for them at the Oasis Exchange Hotel - and now ice cream.

Originally published as Coffee, ice cream, phone chargers: New supply point on Flinders Hwy