Top 10 Australian country pubs
If you enjoy a cold beer as I do, then a welcoming pub at the end of a long day on the dusty back roads of Australia is truly a fine sight.
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It's the ones that take you by surprise, seemingly in the middle of nowhere, that often give the greatest pleasure and the most memorable evenings.
As the presenter of Back Roads, I've sampled plenty of watering holes full of entertaining characters on my travels over the years.
And I can tell you, the film crew and I have high standards about what makes a top pub.
First and foremost, it must have a good publican who understands the importance of a meeting place for locals and passers-by, especially in remote parts.
Somewhere to have a laugh, and spin a yarn or two in both good and bad seasons.
It's a tough ask to list our favourite 10, but what better place to start than at the tiny township of Hebel in outback south-west Queensland, close to the New South Wales border.
The Hebel Hotel, Hebel, Qld
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The Hebel Hotel has been reopened after a brief closure.(ABC TV: Back Roads)This historic former Cobb and Co stop with wide, front verandahs and a large beer garden, oozes charm and character the minute you pull up.
But it became the pub with no beer when it closed its doors in 2020.
YOUTUBEYouTube Saving Hebel Hotel
That was until a local family headed by grazier Frank Deshon rode to the rescue and bought it.
"Frank's viewed as a hero around here," one happy patron told us.
Mr Deshon said the pub was "the epicentre"."We had to save it, the local pub is the best thing for mental health out here in the bush," he said.
"It heals the heart and mind. It's where you share your stories, where people have wakes and birthdays."
Croydon Club Hotel, Croydon, Qld
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The Croydon Club Hotel is one of Heather Ewart's favourites.(ABC TV: Back Roads)https://live-production.wcms.abc-cdn...862&height=575
Mobile hairdresser Lyn Westbury spruces up the locals in the beer garden salon.(ABC TV: Back Roads)You simply can't drive past this striking two-storey old pub that seems frozen in time, and you won't be disappointed when you go inside either.
The front bar is like walking onto a wild west movie set.
The heart and soul of the joint is friendly publican Eva Garde who I first met in 2016 on a road trip with mobile hairdresser Lyn Westbury.
And here's a tip, Lyn still calls in every few months to offer reasonably priced haircuts in the beer garden.
The Black Stump, Merriwagga, NSW
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Heather Ewart gets a friendly welcome at The Black Stump Hotel.(ABC TV: Back Roads)You never know what you might come across when you drop into the Black Stump Hotel at Merriwagga in the NSW Riverina.
Like a horse at the bar while the owner enjoys a quiet beer.
Well to be fair, Back Roads may have pre-arranged the meeting with local horseman Lance Ensfield, but it's not the first time this bar has welcomed a horse.
Lance's grandfather used to do the same thing.
The Black Stump claims to have the tallest bar in the southern hemisphere with stools to match.
Customers have been known to fall off from time to time, so don't overdo it on the beers.
The Glengarry Hilton, Cumborah, NSW
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The Glengarry Hilton offers a place to rest up after a stint in the gem fields.(ABC TV: Back Roads)https://live-production.wcms.abc-cdn...862&height=575
The welcoming toilets at the Glengarry Hilton Hotel.(ABC TV: Back Roads)Nothing could be further from the international hotel chain than this rustic tin shed on the opal fields at Grawin, near Lightning Ridge.
Here you'll meet clientele from all walks of life and different parts of the world, sharing the same bug, the chase for glittering opals.
The camaraderie well and truly makes up for the lack of niceties.
Summed up by one regular: "I just feel like I belong here".
The Hermitage Hotel, Harrow, Vic
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Heather Ewart highly rates The Hermitage Hotel.(ABC TV: Back Roads)https://live-production.wcms.abc-cdn...862&height=575
Heather Ewart and Mark McClure enjoy the Harrow Sound and Light Show. (ABC TV: Back Roads)This is a gem of a pub dominating the main street of the small town of Harrow in the Victorian Wimmera.
It's said to be the state's oldest inland settlement, overlooking the beautiful Glenelg River.
And if you time it right, as I did, you could also take part in one of the regular Harrow Sound and Light Shows held upstairs at the pub, featuring early colonial life.
All good fun, though I hadn't counted on being hoisted over the shoulders of a bushranger.
Adelaide River Inn, Adelaide River, NT
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Ben Cunningham, Lois Randall, Heather Ewart and Tony Hill meet Charlie the famous buffalo.(ABC TV: Back Roads)https://live-production.wcms.abc-cdn...862&height=575
The Adelaide River Inn features a spacious beer garden.(ABC: Back Roads)You're in Crocodile Dundee country here.
The Adelaide River Inn proudly displays the stuffed head of a buffalo that starred in the Paul Hogan movie classic.
It is a little bit before the halfway mark when driving from Darwin to Katherine.
The busy bar is geared towards tourists, but it's loaded with atmosphere, set amongst lush gardens with plenty of outdoor tables.
William Creek Hotel, William Creek, SA
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Heather says the William Creek Hotel has a great atmosphere.(ABC TV: Back Roads)This is the closest pub you'll find to the spectacular Kati Thanda — Lake Eyre on the Oodnadatta Track in the South Australian outback, and it delivers in spades.
It has icy cold beers, great food and ambience as well as bar walls and ceilings covered in guests' business cards from around Australia and the world.
Empire Hotel, Queenstown,Tas
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The Empire Hotel has a cosy fireplace.(ABC TV: Back Roads)https://live-production.wcms.abc-cdn...862&height=575
Perfection — a chilled beer and a warm fireplace on a cold day.(ABC TV: Back Roads)The landmark Empire Hotel is a grand old lady from a bygone era when mining was booming on the stunning west coast of Tasmania.
The highlight is the sweeping heritage-listed blackwood staircase in the main entrance, once graced by opera singer Dame Nellie Melba.
Its restaurant is set in a traditional dining room and it always has a cosy fire burning too.
The Kulin Hotel, Kulin, WA
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The Kulin Hotel is a charming, sandstone structure.(ABC TV: Back Roads)This is a town in the southern wheatbelt that punches well above its weight.
Residents weren't going to let their community die, so they built a sports centre and then took over the pub for good measure too.
It's worth a visit to the charming old sandstone hotel in the hope that the can-do spirit of Kulin is catching.
Mickey Bourkes Koroit Hotel, Koroit, VIC
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Mickey Bourkes Koroit Hotel has plenty of Irish spirit.(ABC TV: Back Roads/Anthony Brady)https://live-production.wcms.abc-cdn...862&height=575
Irish singing a plenty at the Koroit Hotel.(ABC TV: Back Roads)Been missing overseas travel since COVID? No need.
Step into Mickey Bourkes Hotel in Koroit in western Victoria and you're back in Ireland.
The Guinness flows with the jokes, the Irish music plays and if you time it with the annual Irish festival in April, you might just end up dancing on the tables with the locals.
Of course, there are so many more great pubs around Australia worth a mention, we might have to do updates and continue in our research.
In the meantime, don't miss our latest episode of Back Roads in Hebel. Watch Back Roads on ABC TV, Mondays at 8pm or any time on ABC iview.
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