Quamby Pub pours first drinks since 2013 in 'phenomenal' opening weekend

After significant renovations, the once lively drinking hole which sits a 30 minute drive away from Cloncurry, sprang back in to life last Wednesday, opening its doors for the first time in ten years.'

New owners Nigel and Karen Sheiles and friends Gregory and Wendy White bought the pub 12 months ago.

A week after swinging open the doors, Mr Sheiles said the response from the community had been extraordinary.

"It's just been phenomenal," Mr Sheiles said.

"We got absolutely smashed on the weekend for food and drinks," he said.

"I've run out of vegetables, beetroots and steaks, so I've had people running in to town.

"I think we went through 48 kilos of chips on the weekend."

Mr and Mrs Sheiles first spotted the pub while on a road trip in 2000, when they were driving home to the Gold Coast from Cape York.

"We pulled over and thought what a waste of a pub," Mr Sheiles said.

"Then we were back in 2021. We were heading back out to Lawn Hill and Gregory ... and it was up for sale," he said.

"Where else can you buy a freehold pub for $110,000?"

So, the group of Gold Coast mates put in an offer, and as of April 2022, were the proud new owners of a once thriving saloon.

The group were then faced with the great task of restoring the venue to its former glory.

Luckily, Mr Sheiles is a licensed shop fitter and Mr White, an engineer with experience building helicopters

Mr Sheiles said the rebuilding phase took longer than expected.

"It took us nearly two months just to find a pub in amongst the grass and the dirt and all the rubbish everybody threw over the temporary fence," he said.

"Trying to get the building materials out here was near impossible at some stages. It was like a two or three month wait.

"But, we got over all of that and we've got it built."

Mr Sheiles said the pub would host an official opening "probably around the end of May".