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Osbourne Hotel, Fortitude Valley<br />
NEWS<br />
Photo: Seth and Vicki’s Australian Travels<br />
GHOST TOWN PUB<br />
TO REOPEN<br />
It’s been a long time between drinks at the<br />
Betoota Hotel.<br />
On a lonely road 170km east of Birdsville, the outback<br />
town of Betoota has been uninhabited since its<br />
publican and sole resident shut shop in 1997. Now a<br />
Brisbane resident and long-time fan of the pub, Robert<br />
(Robbo) Haken, has bought it and plans to reopen it in<br />
time for the Betoota races in August.<br />
Robbo recently told the Brisbane Times that he first<br />
visited the pub 30 years ago, but after seeing how<br />
derelict it had become by 2015, he knew he had to<br />
restore it.<br />
“When I walked into the place I just thought, what an<br />
amazing bit of Australia history and why isn’t someone<br />
doing something with it,” he said.<br />
In partnership with three friends, Robert is now<br />
giving the old hotel a much-needed makeover and is<br />
confident it will become a popular stop for thirsty, tired<br />
and curious travellers.<br />
“There are a lot of grey nomads that go through there<br />
and they’re all fatigued by the time they get to the<br />
centre, so basically we looked at it and thought we<br />
could be assistance there,” he said.<br />
“The response that we got from everybody in the bush<br />
out there, from the shops, to the hardware, to the local<br />
bakery, to people wanting to help us, including the<br />
local police, was absolutely astronomical.”<br />
In its heyday Betoota a busy Cobb & Co. change<br />
station and meeting point for pastoralists and drovers<br />
moving herds of cattle through customs and onto<br />
markets in South Australia.<br />
07 3252 8899<br />
info@brandandslater.com.au<br />
www.brandandslater.com.au<br />
q u e e n s l a n d h o T E L S a s s o c i a t i o n<br />
m a g a z i n e<br />
DON’T MISS OUR SPECIAL SHOWCASE<br />
ON FINANCE, ATM & POS<br />
Featured within the <strong>QHA</strong> REVIEW April edition this special<br />
editorial Showcase will address the important decisions<br />
that need to be made before the end of the financial year in<br />
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We talk with industry experts on their recommendations along<br />
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All queries, be it in relation to this showcase or advertising<br />
in general can be directed to<br />
Bryony Brand 0400 462 843 or qhareview@qha.org.au<br />
<strong>QHA</strong> REVIEW | 11