Anyone searching for this Koumala pub usually wants three things: what it serves, whether it is changing hands, and how long it has traded. The answers below draw on the hotel’s own material, listing sites and reviews, and they flag where the public record stops. The MapQuest profile describes the hotel as a historic pub going strong since 1939.
Last checked: 2026-11-05
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Trading history: Operating since 1939, per the property’s own description · Location: Koumala, Queensland, about 20 minutes out of Sarina · Address: 13 Brown St, Koumala · Room rate: from $85 per night, per online listing
Koumala Hotel at a glance
- Two-storey timber building constructed 1939–1940, with the bar’s four walls covered floor to ceiling in memorabilia (Judith Salecich)
- Rated 4.5 from 24 reviews, categorised as Bar, Pub, Australian (Tripadvisor)
- Free public parking, a full bar, live music and free WiFi (Tripadvisor restaurant listing)
- All-day pizzas, a bistro menu Wednesday to Sunday, coffee and cakes, and fully refurbished accommodation from $85 per night with a complimentary breakfast bar (Koumala Hotel official site)
- A large Big Beer Can water tank stands outside the hotel, and a large crocodile hangs above the front door (Land of the Bigs)
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Trading history | Operating since 1939, per the property’s own description |
| Location | Koumala, Queensland, about 20 minutes out of Sarina |
| Address | 13 Brown St, Koumala QLD 4738 |
| Phone | +61 7 4950 3733, per the MapQuest listing |
| Room rate | From $85 per night, per the hotel’s official site |
| Main kitchen days | Wednesday to Sunday; pizzas listed seven days a week |
| Budget rooms | 8 rooms, per the Localsearch listing |
| Tripadvisor rating | 4.5 from 24 reviews |
| Tripadvisor price band | $$-$$$ |
- Distance to Sarina: about 20 minutes out, per the MapQuest listing, which places the pub closer to Sarina than to Mackay.
- Distance to Mackay: about 45 minutes away, per the same listing, so Mackay is more than twice the drive of Sarina.
- Entry room rate: from $85 per night, the only rate published by the property itself, and it carries no date stamp.
How we researched this
Last checked: 2026-11-05.
Sources reviewed: official property website, review platform listings, business directory listings with opening hours and rates, travel blogs and travel writing, a regional destination guide, and campground listings.
No on-site visit, no staff or owner interview, no menu audit beyond listing descriptions, no check of current sale status or asking price, and no check of historical pub claims against independent registers.
Koumala pub menu
Hearty meals and the bistro
The sources reviewed contain no menu items or menu prices, so none are listed here. The schedule is better documented: the MapQuest profile says pizzas are available seven days a week, the main kitchen runs Wednesday to Sunday, and meals are served 12–2pm and 6–8pm, with the caveat that kitchen times may vary.
We pride ourselves in serving the coldest beer with the biggest smiles and food to boot.
Koumala Hotel, official website
The hotel’s own site lists an all-day pizza offer, a bistro menu from Wednesday to Sunday, and coffee and cakes. A Publocation listing describes a bistro, cafe and bar with regular live music and karaoke nights, but that is a third-party listing and its details are not checked against the hotel.
Four individual reviews mention the food, and each is attributed separately. A MapQuest reviewer dated 16 May 2024 praised the food and service, a supreme pizza and a meat lover pizza made on the premises. A MapQuest reviewer dated 9 October 2022 called a steak sandwich the best ever. A Publocation reviewer praised a rump steak and icy-cold beer, and a Localsearch reviewer named Janette called the dinner lovely.
Tip: Phone ahead before planning a meal visit. The MapQuest profile notes that kitchen times may vary, and the listed number is +61 7 4950 3733.
The catch: a Monday or Tuesday visit falls outside the listed main-kitchen days, so pizzas are the only food the listings describe for those days.
Koumala pub for sale
What the sale query can and cannot confirm
Searches for a sale of this pub exist, but the sources reviewed contain no sale listing, no asking price and no selling agent. Nothing reviewed confirms the property’s sale status, so no conclusion about it is drawn here.
The closest documented change of hands is the ownership handover. Travel blogger Judith Salecich reports that Ray and Rowena Colgrave took over ownership in early 2016 and have been renovating the property and revitalising the business. The sources reviewed record no later ownership change, but none checked the current position directly.
Caution: Check current property listings and any selling agent directly before drawing a conclusion about a sale.
What to watch: the early 2016 handover is the latest change of hands in the sources reviewed, so any newer transfer would need to be checked against current listings, not against the pub’s own profile.
Which is Australia’s oldest pub?
Koumala’s 1939 founding in context
The property states it has been trading since 1939. Judith Salecich dates the two-storey timber building to 1939–1940, and she describes it as one of Koumala’s oldest buildings.
The majestic two-story timber building, constructed in 1939-1940, is one of Koumala’s oldest.
Judith Salecich, travel blogger
The sources do not establish whether this pub is Australia’s oldest, and no ranking claim is made here. The pub’s historical claims were not checked against independent registers, so the 1939 date rests on the hotel’s own description and on a travel blog’s construction dates.
The bottom line: the record supports a building dated to 1939–1940 and a trading claim from 1939. It does not support any claim about national rank.
What the room rate covers
The hotel’s official site states fully refurbished accommodation from $85 per night, including a complimentary breakfast bar. The Tripadvisor tourism listing gives a price band of $$-$$$. The two figures measure different things, a starting room rate and a broad band, so neither should be read as a full price range.
Note: The $85 figure carries no date stamp on the official site, so confirm the rate with the hotel before budgeting.
The trade-off: the starting rate is clearly stated, but no figure is published for a specific room type or stay length in the sources reviewed.
Pros and cons
Strengths in the record
- A documented heritage building: two storeys of timber, built 1939–1940, with memorabilia covering the bar walls.
- Eight budget rooms, plus free parking, free WiFi and an ATM, according to the Localsearch directory listing.
- A 4.5 average from 24 Tripadvisor reviews.
Trade-offs to weigh
- The review base is thin. Twenty-four Tripadvisor reviews is a small sample, and several reviews are dated or anonymous.
- Opening hours differ between listings, so the day’s hours cannot be confirmed from one source.
- The main kitchen runs Wednesday to Sunday only.
- WikiAustralia describes Koumala as having no attractions to speak of, so the stop’s appeal rests mainly on the pub itself.
Best for
- Locals wanting a country pub for a cold beer and a meal: the hotel’s own site makes the cold-beer claim, and pizzas are listed seven days a week.
- Travellers on the Bruce Highway: free parking and eight budget rooms per the Localsearch and Tripadvisor listings, and a starting rate of $85 per night per the official site.
- Visitors interested in local heritage: the 1939–1940 timber building and the memorabilia-covered bar are the most specific documented features.
Location and getting there
Koumala is a small township on the Bruce Highway. WikiAustralia places it about 25 km south of Sarina and 60 km south of Mackay, and describes the hotel as a country pub on the highway with a shady verandah.
The MapQuest profile gives shorter drive times: about 20 minutes from Sarina and 45 minutes from Mackay. Those figures come from a directory rather than a route check, so treat them as indicative.
Related reading: Sarina Beach Motel: Menu, Reviews, and Prices · Boomerang Hotel Mackay: Reviews, Menu & Prices 2026
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Frequently asked questions
When was Koumala Hotel established?
The MapQuest profile describes the hotel as a historic pub going strong since 1939. Judith Salecich dates construction of the two-storey timber building to 1939–1940.
Where is Koumala Hotel located?
The hotel is at 13 Brown St, Koumala, Queensland 4738, according to the MapQuest listing. WikiAustralia places Koumala on the Bruce Highway.
How far is Koumala from Sarina and Mackay?
WikiAustralia places Koumala about 25 km south of Sarina and 60 km south of Mackay. The MapQuest profile lists about 20 minutes from Sarina and 45 minutes from Mackay.
What is the listed room rate at Koumala Hotel?
The hotel’s official site lists fully refurbished accommodation from $85 per night, including a complimentary breakfast bar.
What is the phone number for Koumala Hotel?
The MapQuest listing gives +61 7 4950 3733.
What are the listed opening hours for Koumala Hotel?
Localsearch lists 10:00 am to 12:00 am. The Tripadvisor Arabic-locale listing shows opening from 10:00 am on most days, Sunday from 11:00 am, and closing at 10:00 pm. The two listings disagree, so confirm by phone on +61 7 4950 3733.