THIS western Riverina pub sticks to the basics: cold beer and a friendly atmosphere, JAMES WAGSTAFF reports
Publican Phil Ervin reckons keeping things simple is the secret to the success of his Homebush Hotel, in the drought-parched western Riverina.
Carlton Draught is the only tap-beer available, the pub's range of basic spirits is just that - basic - and locals prefer the local stuff, namely XXXX Gold stubbies, to those with foreign, more fancy labels.
``If people want a cocktail, we tell them to go to the chemist,'' Phil jokes.
Phil bought the Homebush, at Penarie, 28km north of Balranald, three years ago.
Raised on a farm near Pyramid Hill in northern Victoria, Phil had retired to Torquay and was travelling around Australia with a caravan when he chanced upon the pub.
``I pulled up out the front, fell in love with it and wrote a cheque on the spot,'' he said.
The Homebush, said to be one of the oldest continually trading pubs in NSW, was built in 1878 and once served as a Cobb and Co staging post.
Phil said it was the only pub remaining on the 230km stretch of road between Balranald and Ivanhoe, once graced by 17 watering holes.
``There were two hotels between here and (Balranald): there was one about every eight miles,'' he said.
``Some of them were Cobb and Co coach stops but they mostly survived on rabbiters and station families.''
Nowadays the Homebush's clientele includes local farmers, charcoal burners, shearers and woodcutters, as well as tourists passing through on their way to the world-famous Mungo National Park.
Phil admitted the key ingredients for a successful bush pub were cold beer and a friendly atmosphere.
The Homebush prided itself on ``the fact that it really is a family pub, and we get a lot of families in'', he said.
``When I bought this, it was doing a barrel (of beer) a week, we are now doing seven,'' he said.
Although jokingly referring to the pub as ``a financial disaster'' Phil - a local Balranald Shire councillor - admitted to ``doing alright'' despite the district being in drought for the past 18 years.
``We don't have three-phase power so our power bills are extraordinary and then you've got insurance,'' he said.
The pub's isolation and local temperature extremes also present challenges.
``Everything here is Victoria .th.th. we play AFL, we get Melbourne newspapers, listen to Melbourne radio and we've got an 03 phone number. Sydney papers arrive a day late so nobody reads them,'' Phil said.
``It's a dry heat (out here), but the worst thing is the dust. We had one dust storm where you couldn't see the veranda posts from the window.
``And in the winter it's freezing with frosts.''
As well as wearing hats as publican, councillor and local tour guide, Phil can also turn his talent to feeding hungry Homebush patrons.
``Apparently I'm a chef,'' he said. ``But I've got everyone trained to give me a day's notice so we can discuss what's on the menu.''
But when it comes to drink driving, Phil said his policy was simple.
``If you're young and you've had too much to drink and you leave here (behind the wheel of a car) you never come back,'' he said.
``Some of these boys can drive two hours on these back country roads, there is no phone, there is no UHF.
``I'd much prefer they get in their swags and I'll ring their mothers and say `Marie, don't worry. Nigel is asleep in his ute or in front of the fire'. So they all know these kids are safe; because they do worry.''
Despite the challenges, Phil reckons there is a bright future for pubs such as the Homebush.
``Tourists love it, they don't believe places like this still exist,'' he said.
``You can't go past a place like this on a day like this.''
