Established 1861 · Heritage listed

Bowen River Hotel

A low-slung, tin-roofed survivor of the droving days, sitting where the Bowen River winds out of the ranges. One of the oldest pubs in North Queensland, and still one of the friendliest.

Bowen River Hotel, established 1861
The pub

Older than the state it stands in

The Bowen River Hotel has served drovers pushing cattle west, teamsters hauling stores to the goldfields and stockmen working the big runs of the upper Bowen. The town around it came and went. The pub stayed exactly where it was.

The building is a rare survivor of bush carpentry: walls of horizontal split-timber slabs, wooden-peg joinery and a corrugated iron roof, raised on low stumps. It is entered on the Queensland Heritage Register.

Our brief is simple. Keep it real. Keep the verandah honest, keep the beer cold, keep the burger big, and keep the door open for the bush.

Find us
Strathmore Road, via Collinsville QLD 4804
About 34 km from Collinsville
Phone
0491 929 090
Email
Good to know
Kitchen hours vary through the week. Call ahead if you are coming for a meal or arriving late.
Stay

Rooms, dongas and riverside camping

Heritage hotel rooms

Sleep inside the history. Simple, characterful rooms in the original hotel.

Donga rooms

Single and ensuite donga rooms, popular with workers, contractors and anyone wanting their own space.

Caravans & camping

Bring the van, the camper or a swag. Camping on the grounds with amenities, and skies darker than you remember.

Eat & drink

Big plates, cold beer

Classic pub meals done properly, using Queensland produce, plus a few dishes you would not expect to find this far from town.

  • Chicken schnitty, rump steak and burgers with chips
  • Grilled barramundi
  • Pizzas from the BRH oven
  • Sri Lankan cutlets and kottu roti
  • XXXX Gold and Great Northern, spirits and a cold fridge
Every June

Bowen River Rodeo & Campdraft

For one long weekend each June the flats beside the hotel fill with horse floats, swags and campfires for one of North Queensland's best-loved country rodeos. The pub runs as the official rodeo hub, with an outdoor bar under the trees and a rodeo menu that keeps the queue short and the food hot.

Camping is on the grounds. Bring a swag, bring your mates and leave the city behind.

Your hosts

The team at Bowen River

Saveen

Duty Manager

Chamo

Bowen River Hotel team

Come for a beer, stay for the sunset

Book a room, a donga or a campsite at the Bowen River Hotel.