The Prairie Hotel in Queensland is on a prairie in a town called Prairie in the middle of nowhere.
It was built in 1860 as a horse-changing point for the Cobb & Co. stage. It hasn't changed much since then. The front railing is straddled by a row of old saddles. Many choose it as a place to sit and drink and many fall off!
Inside, the ceilings and walls have a fine collection of relics hanging from them in true bush pub fashion. A dentist's chair provides barside seating, there's a very grand dining room and a kid's playroom.
One alleged regular is the ghost of an arsonist ringer. There were once two pubs in Prairie, the Prairie Hotel being the original. Many moons ago the publican of the Prairie paid an old ringer to set fire to the opposition.
Payment consisted of a bottle of OP rum upfront and a gold sovereign on completion of the mission. The ringer set about his sinister task, rum in hand, deciding to stop for a few slugs from the bottle in one of the pub's bedrooms along the way. He finally made his way to the kitchen and lit the fire.
Remembering he left the rum in the bedroom he went to retrieve it. On finding the rum, he took a couple more slugs and fell asleep unconscious through intoxication, perishing with the pub. It's said that he regularly visits the pub in search of the unscrupulous publican who still owes him a sovereign.
The staff are super friendly, there's even the huge buffalo out the back that loves to be handfed. Publicans Andrea and Tom Duddy keep the town of 50 people, as well as passing tourists, satisfied with a great food and drink.
It was built in 1860 as a horse-changing point for the Cobb & Co. stage. It hasn't changed much since then. The front railing is straddled by a row of old saddles. Many choose it as a place to sit and drink and many fall off!
Inside, the ceilings and walls have a fine collection of relics hanging from them in true bush pub fashion. A dentist's chair provides barside seating, there's a very grand dining room and a kid's playroom.
One alleged regular is the ghost of an arsonist ringer. There were once two pubs in Prairie, the Prairie Hotel being the original. Many moons ago the publican of the Prairie paid an old ringer to set fire to the opposition.
Payment consisted of a bottle of OP rum upfront and a gold sovereign on completion of the mission. The ringer set about his sinister task, rum in hand, deciding to stop for a few slugs from the bottle in one of the pub's bedrooms along the way. He finally made his way to the kitchen and lit the fire.
Remembering he left the rum in the bedroom he went to retrieve it. On finding the rum, he took a couple more slugs and fell asleep unconscious through intoxication, perishing with the pub. It's said that he regularly visits the pub in search of the unscrupulous publican who still owes him a sovereign.
The staff are super friendly, there's even the huge buffalo out the back that loves to be handfed. Publicans Andrea and Tom Duddy keep the town of 50 people, as well as passing tourists, satisfied with a great food and drink.