The legend of one of the Mackay district's oldest pubs has long been shrouded in speculation.
The Leap Hotel, about 20km north-west of Mackay, is visited by tourists and locals alike, many of whom have wondered about the origins of the 150-year-old pub's moniker.
Legend has it, the name stems from the story of an Aboriginal mother who leapt from nearby Mount Mandarana in July 1867 to escape capture by white settlers who had mounted an offensive against Aborigines reportedly spearing farmers' cattle.
A large statue of the Lindeman Island tribe woman, Kowaha, stands outside the pub in the shadow of the 360-metre mountain, with her baby nestled in her arms.
The stories differ depending on your source - some say both mother and child perished in the fall, some say Kowaha left her baby in nearby bush land before she jumped, and others say the baby survived the fall and went on to be raised by local farmers.
No matter the truth, the fact remains - The Leap Hotel is an iconic fixture along the Bruce Highway, attracting all ages and walks of life, and the bones of the popular watering hole remain largely intact.
The pub was built in the 1870s, and was first licensed by Francis George Fooks on 16 May 1882.
The Leap has long been a social centre for the area, hosting political rallies, social events, and balls and dances in the early 1960s when an old dance hall at the rear of the hotel attracted dancers from the wider region.
The outside of The Leap has remained mostly untouched over time, with locals often spotted sitting along its verandah which wraps around its body, between swaying palms.
Looking around the one-storey timber Queenslander, echoes of the past encapsulate the ceiling, walls, and glass cabinets.
Bibi Edgerton has owned the pub since 2010 alongside partner Shiralee Evans, and handed over the reins to licensees Butch and Jen Taylor in January.
"Mid-life crisis, mate," Mr Taylor said.
"We live in Kuttabul and we would come past here and I'd stop in here and have a beer on the way back. I done that for nine years and we got to the point where 'what's the next adventure in life?'
"I started mowing for Bibi and (Shiralee) and started doing garden work...they came out one day...asked if we'd lease the club and we've gone from there.
"It's got the character that I want to be part of...the old country pub."
The pub's camping grounds are fully booked out during the winter months, with plenty of backpackers stopping in for 24-hour stays.
"It's kind of a stopping point and of course the free camping draws them in as well," Mrs Taylor said.
"We're trying to do a fishing club based out of here, we hope to do a camp oven cook-off next year and make that an annual event...(as well as a breast cancer fundraiser last weekend).
"It's been here for so long. So many generations are used to coming here and have traditions here. We hear from people all the time 'my dad used to take me fishing and we'd always stop here and have a meal on the way home, I'm so glad I can do that with my kids now'."
Bibi first began the tradition of collecting relics of the past - adorning the walls with vintage telephones after working in telecommunications.
Now, everywhere you look, there are categorised items from generations past - old tools, every kind of camera you can think of, mining lanterns, and photos capturing the long history of the pub - one catching the eye in particular showing a horse popping its head in the side door.
"(They've) just been donated over the years. Some people have come in and said when they were kids at the age of 10, and they're 50 now, some of the stuff was hanging up here then. It's accumulated," Mr Taylor said.
While the architecture remains largely the same, the bar itself has expanded from a men's only area around the corner fireplace and a ladies' saloon around the back, to a long bar running into what was once the storage area.
The entertaining area, now featuring a pool table, rugby league paraphernalia, and dining tables, was once the residential living quarters, with the expanded dining area set up in the areas where three bedrooms once lived.
"Originally this would have been a stop station for the horse at Cobb & Co... they would have come here and changed horses...and then it turned into a pub," Mr Taylor said.
Walking around the pub, you feel like you are walking over the threshold of someone's home.
Friendly locals greet you, inquisitively, with big smiles and cheer - you immediately feel embraced by the venue, a warm welcome inviting you in to enjoy a frosty schooner.
"The locals come more because of the atmosphere...A pub is only as good as the atmosphere or the people that are running it," Mr Taylor said.
"It's warm and fun here."
Three affable regulars sit at the end of the bar, trading jests and laughing at each others' jokes.
Col Johnson moved to the area from Moonie 20 years ago, and said the pub is a big draw card for thirsty locals due to the friendly hospitality and atmosphere.
Dennis Oliver's home sits square between two pubs, including The Leap, but it's the warmth of the old venue that makes it his favourite.
"It's the character of the place, and the people," he said.
There is no doubting it - The Leap is one of those old country pubs that will never go out of fashion.
