Publican Shelly Ryan said a community gathering was held on October 24 to celebrate the occasion. 

Mrs Ryan and her husband Rhino have been the Dajarra publicans for seven years come January, after moving from Townsville. 

“I came home from shopping one day, and my non-drinking husband said ‘do you want to buy a hotel?’,” she said.

Mrs Ryan planned to give it a go for two years, but soon realised that running a pub in a regional community was her calling.

“I love it, it’s the best, best community ever, we never have any problems whatsoever at the pub,” Mrs Ryan said. 

She said “every day is like a Sunday” at the pub – an unusual comparison, considering Sabbath and pubs traditionally never openly mixed. 

“It’s like your home,” Mrs Ryan explained. 

“It’s more a home than a hotel, it’s a very relaxed lifestyle.”

Mrs Ryan was unfamiliar with the detailed history of the pub, but it was mentioned in the book Australian Pubs, which was first published 41 years ago.

The pub was known for several nude paintings of indigenous women on the walls of the bar, which were painted by a Mount Isa miner by the name of Mickey Rooney. 

Mr Rooney would travel from the Isa to paint the art in a corner of the bar, using house paint. 

The paintings can still be seen decorating the bar.