The name ‘Sheepyard Inn’ doesn’t instantly conjure up images of opal fields, but it does give you some sort of indication of where the opal fields lie, and what’s around them. Quite often the mining leases are negotiated with pastoralists who share their land use for both the mining, and in some cases, the residential component of life in the fields, and you’ll find miners, pastoralists, tourists, and every other kind of person at the Sheepyard Inn.
Opened in 1984, the Sheepyard Inn has evolved over time to become a real community hub on the opal fields. The building burned to the ground in 2009, the only thing left standing was the hefty stone and brick fireplace and chimney. Straight after the fire, locals brought their portable chairs back up to the inn, sat around the fireplace in the open air, and declared the pub open again which kept the licence operational, though it wasn’t until 2010 that the inn was rebuilt as it is today.
The pub has a cosy bar area with open fire, tables and ‘custom’ pool table, and both the front and back have generous covered open areas with plenty of seating – there’s always a shady side to gather on, no matter what the season. The back area has a huge wood-fired pizza oven and Friday nights are pizza nights for all of the opal fields. The local volunteers run the oven and deliver the pizzas (within the pub) while the food is assembled at the nearby train carriage converted to kitchen, where you can get meals seven days a week.
Right next door to the pub is the Black Opal Stones and Bones museum and shop, and it’s worth a look, with fossils from the local fields, Australia, and right around the world, as well as opals to purchase along with jewellery and artworks. Right around from the pub is an open air gallery of mining memorabilia, old cars and machinery, and this theme is carried right through the pub which is full of curios and interesting artefacts. The serviceman’s wall holds the names and service numbers for a huge amount of servicemen, and some have even found and connected with lost mates by spotting them on the wall. Nearby, the Anzac Memorial shows the opal fields’ dedication to the memory of those veterans, and Anzac Day is a great time to visit the Sheepyard Inn.
There’s accommodation and plenty of camping nearby, so the Sheepyard Inn is certainly one to add to your list of essential things to see when you are travelling along the Opal Route.
The Sheepyard Inn is a Pub Stop along these Pub Routes. Discover more routes and pub history.
Pub Stories
Discover the history of the Pubs of Grawin
The Pubs of Grawin
Wherever there were changing stations, hotels soon followed, and the Wilby Wilby Hotel on the Narran, and the Grawin Hotel soon established themselves as watering holes, followed closely by the Comborah Hotel and the township of Cumborah.