A Place to Connect: How a Local Pub Supports Community Wellbeing
At the North Gregory Hotel in Winton, connection is part of everyday life.
For publicans Chris and Irene Moore, the pub plays an important role in bringing people together and helping them feel part of the community.
“Being a pub, we are a social network for people,” Irene says. “Sometimes you see people who just need a bit of extra support, even if it’s simply having someone to talk to.”
In small communities, places like the pub are often where people come not just for a drink, but for company, conversation and a sense of belonging. Chris and Irene see the pub as a place where people can step out of their own heads, play a game of pool, share a chat, and enjoy some company.
“A lot of people come in here to connect with someone else so they’re not at home alone,” she says.
That is why they have chosen to promote mental health support and Outback Futures services at the hotel, with posters and resources available around the pub, including in the toilets. It’s about making support visible and normal, and giving people options.
“Having those posters and resources gives people another way to get support,” Irene explains, “especially if they prefer something more private, or they just want to take that step in their own time.”
For Irene, good mental health in the community is something you can see and feel. “It’s seeing people happy, socialising, and supporting each other, with no one feeling isolated or left out.”
She knows that in an outback town, everyday interactions matter. “In a small community, people take things to heart,” she says. “Little interactions can feel big if someone’s already not in a great place.”
Chris and Irene do not see themselves as people who have all the answers, but they do believe in the power of welcoming spaces and small actions. By creating a place where people feel comfortable to connect, and by making support easy to find, the couple is helping to strengthen wellbeing across their community, one conversation at a time.
Outback Futures supports connection and wellbeing across rural and remote communities. Learn more about how we work alongside local people.
