Historic Outback Pub Loses License, Becomes "Pub With No Beer"

The Barrow Creek Hotel, a remote Australian landmark, can no longer serve alcohol. Authorities revoked its liquor license effective January 1, 2026. The 76-year-old publican, described as an "authentic outback character," lost the license partly because the hotel did not serve food. The pub is also known as the last place British backpacker Peter Falconio was seen alive before his 2001 disappearance. The closure leaves a 200-kilometer stretch of outback highway and several remote Aboriginal communities without a local pub. It fulfills a famous lyric by Australian country singer Slim Dusty, who sang about the loneliness of "a pub with no beer." The Barrow Creek Hotel's future is now uncertain.