Locals band together to keep Kandanga pub going with temporary bar after fire in Queensland's Mary Valley
Updated
After fire destroyed the historic Kandanga pub in Queensland's Mary Valley, locals made sure the town was not without a meeting place where anyone was welcome to have "a beer and a yarn".
While the ruins of the century-old pub were still smouldering after a devastating fire, the Kandanga community was rallying together to set up a temporary watering hole next door in the town, south of Gympie.
The 101-year-old pub burnt down in a spectacular blaze in December 2015, after a fire broke out in the hotel's kitchen.
Pictures from the day show towering flames, with firefighters unable to stop the establishment from being destroyed.
It is still hard for publican Doug Greensill to talk about that day.
"When you're looking at everything you got going up in flames, even though we knew the insurance was there ... you just think 'well, there goes everything'," Mr Greensill said.
"But we got by, totally because of the locals with the support we've got from the Mary Valley people and the locals here — it's been tremendous."
Strangers offer to build new bar next day
In the hours after the blaze, Mr Greensill was approached by strangers who promised to start constructing a new bar the very next day.
"Some of the boys I've never seen before, they came and they said 'we'll have a bar by tomorrow morning for you'," he said.
The bar has become a temporary instalment, while the construction of the new Kandanga Hotel is underway next door.
Mr Greensill said it was vital to rebuild the pub because it was a place for the community to come together.
"They come, they talk, people get jobs out of the hotel — like if you need a plumber or a bricklayer, you'll be here and you ask the question and they'll say 'oh, I can get a bloke for you'," Mr Greensill said.
"It's just a meeting place to have a beer and a yarn."
This time, the pub is made out of brick.
"Definitely won't be any fires in this one, I hope," Mr Greensill said.
Pub fire 'a sad day'
Locals like Athol Barton can be found in the pub most afternoons, having a cold beer after work.
He was told about the pub fire over the phone.
"A mate of mine rang me and he said 'she's gone! And I said, what's gone? And he said the pub'," Mr Barton said.
"I said 'oh, come on, you're kidding', and I came down and she was gone all right."
Local Benjamin Hamilton was out of town when he heard the news.
"It was a sad day," Mr Hamilton said.
"I got the news at smoko time on Facebook that the pub was gone — couldn't believe it.
"It'll be good when the new one's built, but we couldn't have done it without the temporary bar — [we'd be] lost without it."
Mr Greensill said there had been some positives out of the fire.
"It has brought us all together," he said.
"It's like a big — I don't know — like a barbecue here every day. We all sit around in a circle and everyone interacts."
The new pub is expected to open in June.
Topics: community-and-society, fires, disasters-and-accidents, people, human-interest, kandanga-4570, qld, maroochydore-4558
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