The Mungunyah Hotel was built around 1877 by Charles Joseph Conway, a young diligent mail contractor who ended up owning a substantial amount of land on both sides of the Warrego. Just three years before, residents of Brewarrina and outlying stations had given Conway 25 sovereigns in thanks for his dedication to his work in times of flood as he was known to swim swollen rivers, often risking his own life, to make sure the mail went through.
Conway was as diligent as a landowner and hotel proprietor as he was a mailman, with the journalist of Bourke’s The Western Herald praising his industriousness after a visit in 1892.
“Mr Conway had considerably improved his property by adding a new wing to the north end of the hotel. The stables had been furnished with a new roof, and many other improvements made.”
This new wing added nine rooms to the old hotel’s five, with Conway also building a substantial five room cottage behind it.
Conway had even built a dam and temporary crossing over the Warrego at his own expense after lobbying in vain to have a government bridge built at the site. During the great flood of 1890, Conway had made a raft of old telegraph poles lashed to beer kegs, stringing wires across the river. This raft allowed many tons of wool and merchandise to be ferried across the swollen river.
During the early 1880s, Patrick Fitzgerald was at one time licensee at Mungunyah, before leaving to take up the Royal Mail at Barringun, which was then the more vibrant township on the Warrego. Paddy Fitzgerald, or “Fitz” is better known as the host of the Post Office Hotel in Bourke’s main street, which he held for nearly 30 years until his death in 1921.
Like many bush pubs, racing was a popular pastime with punters, and Munguyah was known for some lively race days.
“Champagne and bottled beer could be had ad lib all day,” wrote Bourke’s Central Australian newspaper after a meet in 1887.
“The ‘forties’ [period term equivalent to Larrikin] had a high old time of it, ‘fiz’ and bottled beer could be had at their camps all next day, also a slice of ham and a bit of cheese if wanted. Those little items were passed through the windows of the pub, at the settling time, so the “forties” could very well afford to be generous.
Central Australian, 1887.
After it was all over it was found the local ‘pub’ had lost a few trifling articles such as blankets, tablecloths, bridles, stirrup leathers, towels, etc.; but this sort of thing always happens at a bush pub race meeting. All things considered, things “went off” remarkably well, and everybody seemed satisfied, especially the winners, who seemed to have precious good opinions of themselves and their horses, and who would have had a shot for the Melbourne Cup if it could have been pulled off at Mungunyah while the “fiz” was going.”
Conway held the Mungunyah Hotel until 1901, when he fell into ill health. The following year it was discovered he had an inoperable growth and he died at the home of his daughter on 12 August 1902 aged 52. He had been a resident of the district for 35 years, 27 of which were at Mungunyah..