Conargo Pub in NSW Riverina destroyed by fire

UPDATE: POLICE are investigating the cause of the fire which destroyed the Conargo Pub last night.

Destroyed: The Conargo Pub in the NSW Riverina has been destroyed by fire.

UPDATE: POLICE are investigating the cause of the fire which destroyed one of Australia’s best-loved watering holes – the Conargo Pub – last night.

The NSW Rural Fire Service says it was called to a blaze at the popular hotel, north of Deniliquin in the western Riverina, at about 9.30pm last night.

"The single-story pub, on Mackenzie Street, was fully involved with fire when crews arrived," the RFS said on its Facebook page.

"No one was injured."

Twenty firefighters helped bring the fire under control but little could be done to save the pub. Police have been on the scene investigating the cause of the fire since early this morning.

The Conargo pub was one of the rural Australia’s best-known hotels. The Conargo pub sticker graces utes and cars across Australia and the hotel's walls were adorned with photographs honouring the district's strong links to the stud Merino industry.

The hotel was known as a popular meeting point for generations of jackaroos and jillaroos working on the region's pastoral stations.

Local farmer Colin Bull told The Weekly Times this morning the pub was “the centrepiece of Conargo” and its loss was “devastating”.

Mr Bull said it was hoped the front façade and wall of the pub could be saved, but that was yet to be determined by an engineer.

“It’s 100 per cent cooked,” he said.

Mr Bull said while “you can always rebuild a pub … you’re never going to get all those photos and memorabilia back”.

That includes historical photos of, among other things, prize-winning Merino sheep and industry identities, and an honour board of presidents and life members associated with the now-defunct Riverina Merino Field Days.

Bob White, who works in the Conargo General Store, across the road from the pub, said the loss of the hotel was a big blow for the small community.

“It’s tough – it’s the only watering hole we’ve got and it’s such an iconic pub,” Mr White said.

“One of my cousins came running in last night and said the pub was on fire, so we grabbed a couple of fire extinguishers and headed over.”

Many supporters of the pub took to social media last night to express their sadness at its loss.

Angus Munro, the stud manager of nearby Boonoke station, said it was "devastating" that "so much history and memories (were) all gone".

The pub, originally known as the Billabong Hotel, was built in 1867.

It is the second fire to destroy an iconic Riverina watering hole in recent years.

In 2010, the Carrathool Hotel, 100km north of Conargo, was engulfed by flames. Its publican, Gino Scutti, later pleading guilty to causing the fire.

The Carrathool pub has since been rebuilt by a group of local businessmen.