It was the middle of the night on March 28, 2015 when Peter Hayden was woken up to the terrible news.
The pub in the Julia Creek Peter had owned for over two decades, Gannon’s Hotel, had burned to the ground barely two weeks out from the biggest weekend in town – the Dirt N Dust Festival.
Now pushing 70 years old it might have been easy for some to walk but Peter didn’t and this weekend saw the first Dirt N Dust Festival in town since the new pub was built in October.
Mr Hayden said that although he’d owned the pub since 1995 he had eased it out for a few years at the time of the fire.
“I got word from the people leasing it that about two in morning it was set alight,” Mr Hayden said.
“It was a very old wooden building and you wouldn’t put it out with a fire extinguisher.”
Mr Hayden took back the lease and was determined to rebuild as the attached motel was still a going concern.
“I believe Gannon’s had a very good name on the western line,” he said.
“I did it really for the town not myself – I’m 70 in a few months so I’ll be retiring and probably passing it onto someone, but I think the town needs the pub.”
Mr Hayden said for county towns trying to get ahead a bit it would have been a fair blow to progress if Gannon’s wasn’t there.
“It’s the dearest commercial building in town in a key area near the post office,” he said.
Now Gannon’s is back in all its new glory restoring Julia Creek to a two pub town.
Mr Hayden said it was a totally new building.
“It’s built out of Hebel which is very fire resistant,” he said.
“You can’t build in timber they wont insure them or or it is a very high price.
Mr Hayden said Don Close Construction of Rockhampton gave him a good price on the rebuild and completed the job in three months.
“It re-opened in October, it was well received,” he said.
“The people here supported me well they know my characteristics and what I won’t do.
Locals also appreciate a drive-in bottle shop, he said.
“It’s a plus for the town.
“You can buy a carton of beer and be gone in five minutes.”
If the buzz around the pub on the Dirt N Dust weekend is anything to go by, the new Gannon’s will be around for a lot longer.
Derek Barry
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
