Battered by years of wind and dust, the decaying timber skeleton of the Quamby Pub has been the only sign of a once bustling cattle and mining town in the red-dirt country of north-west Queensland.
Built in 1860 as a customs house, the venue was the heart of the Quamby township which eventually died down in the 1970s.
The pub remained a road stop servicing the region's thriving tourism industry and outlying cattle stations until it was abandoned 10 years ago.
Since then, its only punters have been the white ants.
That was until the sorry structure caught the eye of Gold Coast resident Nigel Sheiles.
"My wife and I were on a road trip through the area with our friends when we drove past it," Mr Sheiles said.
"I thought, this is one of those opportunities that only comes once in a lifetime."
Mr Sheiles and his wife Karen along with their friends Greg and Wendy White purchased the building in 2021 and set about restoring it.
Gruelling road to restoration
The road to restoration was paved in blood, sweat and tears, joked Mr Sheiles, who lived onsite with his wife and the Whites during the reconstruction.
"It took so long to source the materials and then get them delivered," Mr Sheiles said.
"We ended up having to do things two or three times because we just didn't have the materials we needed."
He said the project would not have been possible without the help of locals and tourists.
Travellers from as far as South Australia and Victoria paused their journeys through the outback to lend a hand with the construction.
"We had one family stay for an entire week while other couples would stop and help out for the day," Mr Sheiles said.
Meanwhile, local businesses and residents donated building materials such as old windows, machinery and landscaping equipment.
"The shiplap that surrounds the building was provided by a local cattle station," Mr Sheiles said.
"We were so grateful."
He said there was not much to be salvaged of the original building.
"The only thing that's original is the outside deck, which we had to add an extra four metres to, and the front wall," he said.
"Everything else was replaced — the bearers, the joist, the floors, all new timber frames, the roof trusses, even the roof."
New era for historic gem
The shiny new Quamby Pub opened its doors last week, complete with new ablution blocks, accommodation buildings and a large campsite.
"It was so satisfying to get the doors open and the reception that we've had from all the locals has just been amazing," Mr Sheiles said.
With cold beer on tap and a menu boasting the country basics, the small venue has already welcomed hundreds through its halls.
"This is bloody marvellous," local woman Therese Houghton posted on Facebook.
"Wishing these guys so much luck! So good to see an Aussie icon reborn," Gail Bishop said.
Mr Sheiles said he and the other owners were proud to call the venue their home.
"Quamby is no longer a ghost town. It's the new home of a very proud group of four," he said.
