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Brisbane Panel Beater Has Restored The Infamous Betoota Pub To Its Former Glory

Brisbane Panel Beater Has Restored The Infamous Betoota Pub To Its Former Glory

The pub has been closed for more than 20 years, but Robert Haken has poured blood, sweat and tears into reviving the once iconic pub.

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie

A Queensland ghost town, made popular by satirical website The Betoota Advocate, is getting a small revival.

The town of Betoota sits hundreds of kilometres west of Brisbane and hasn't seen much action over the past few years.

But panel beater Robert Haken has injected some life into the area by renovating the infamous Betoota Hotel.

Sunrise

He used to frequent the pub in the 1960s and 70s and was upset when he saw it have its final drinks in 1997.

Ever since then, the pub has sat in the hot Aussie sun and collected as much dust and sand as possible.

"It's one of those places that has atmosphere and a huge amount of history behind it. It's just a magic place," he told Sunrise.

"We've done a lot of reno, we've put a whole new kitchen in, given her a lick of paint and done all the verandahs up. It's come up a real treat!"

Sunrise

Betoota has a raging population of zero, so it'll be interesting to see how many people pass through the area to have a nice, cold beer.

Hopefully, for Robs sake, there are loads.

The only facilities in Betoota that are still around are a racetrack, a dry weather airstrip and a cricket field.

Thankfully, there are tons of people who descend on the town every September for the annual Simpson Desert Carnival.

He took ownership of the pub just before Christmas last year and has been busily working away to try and bring it back to its former glory.

So if you're ever in the area, please stop by The Betoota Pub and buy a round from Rob.

Featured Image Credit: Sunrise

Topics: Interesting, Community, Australia