52 Pubs in 52 Weeks: the Daintree Inn

Heather Beck | May 7th, 2011

“I left home when I was 17 and until now, I never found anywhere I wanted to settle,” he said.

“It’s the people, they’re just great. They’re real people.”

Although the hotel, with its prominent location on Front St, might have had a less than wholesome reputation in the past, these days the Daintree Inn is experiencing a revival.

It could be the spotless, bright interior and the fresh flowers on the bar, the welcoming staff and the tropical murals of Mossman Gorge on the walls.

Or maybe it’s the inviting swimming pool in the beer garden and the friendly tabby cat that reclines lazily on the upstairs deck, which wraps around the exterior of the pub with views in all directions.

Built in 1896 and formerly known as the Exchange Hotel (or the Sex-change, depending on who you speak to), the hotel has had a rugged history, surviving numerous cyclones and floods.

Barunah Sagiba’s family moved to north Queensland in 1962 after the demise of the pearl-diving industry in Torres Strait, aiming to earn enough money through cutting cane to buy their own boat.

Mr Sagiba points to a grassy triangle out the front of the hotel and remembers how it would turn into a makeshift boxing ring on a Friday night for the “big boys” off the farms once they’d had a few beers.

“When they got a bit rowdy the publican would send them out to the triangle to sort it out that way,” Mr Sagiba said.

“There were a few pubs in the area then so people would come out and gather round to cheer them on.”

Nicholas Cord, aka “Tully”, arrived at Mossman in 1983 on his way to the Daintree, but never left.

“That’s how good it is here in Mossman – it’s all about family, community, caring, it’s a small town thing,” he explained.

“This pub’s a survivor and it’ll be the last one here – we all love it, we love its style, and the publicans have looked after us like we’re their own.”

Owners Lance Sutton and Melynda Harding bought the Daintree Inn two years ago and Ms Harding believes the key to its longevity lies in the simple fact that it’s a typical old-style local bar.

“It gets rowdy, conversation can be very robust, it can be volatile, and you may not always like the language, but this is how public bars used to be,” she said.

“When we got here this wasn’t the favourite pub in town, to be quite honest.

“But now we’ve got a good group of locals and regulars, and we think of them as extended family.

“You have to gain people’s respect but once you do they’re very loyal.”

The Exchange

The Exchange Hotel was built by Denis O’Brien, who also built the North Australian Hotel (now the Central) at Port Douglas in 1878.

Mossman was first called Hartsville, and then Thooleer after a property near the port on the river.

The hotel was badly damaged during the cyclones of 1911 and 1934, when parts of the second storey and roof were blown away.

It was renamed the Daintree Inn when the owners at the time attempted to reinvent it as a backpacker accommodation, but locals have never forgiven the name change.

Guests staying in the upstairs accommodation have reported a “presence” in Room 9, making it difficult to get a good night’s sleep.

Cricketer Peter Thorogood, a right-hand batsman who played for Australia, used to be a publican at the Daintree Inn and was described by one punter as “a real gentleman”.

This series focuses on the unique venues that make living here such a stimulating experience. Which venue would you like to see featured? Email your suggestions to digital@tcp.newsltd.com.au