New Mount Carbine publican Mitch Newman says one of his favourite parts of being the friendly face behind the bar of a remote pub is talking to patrons and listening to their colourful stories. Photo: Lyndon Keane.
For a bloke who came off second best in a clash with an agitated bull little more than 12 months ago, Mitch Newman has a surprisingly laid back outlook on life as he watches dry season traffic drive past the Mount Carbine Hotel-Motel.
“It’s one of those things,” the Mulligan Highway watering hole’s new publican reflects.
“It happened, but you’ve gotta just get up, dust yourself off and get on with life.”
After being stood on by a bull in April 2023 while working cattle in the yards and suffering a serious spleen injury, Mr Newman decided to swap branding for beers when he took on the lease to the well-known pub.
He told Cape York Weekly the decision was made during his recovery from the injury, with big plans already in place to turn around the pub’s fortunes after taking the reins last December.
“After I injured myself last year, I’m limited to the amount of physical work I can do now,” Mr Newman said.
“I can’t sit still and do nothing, and the opportunity was there, so I took it.
“I used to drive past the pub all the time, but half the time it wasn’t open, so I’m trying to let everyone know it’s a different publican now, and that they should come in and see the changes for themselves.”
The sweeping changes include everything from barista coffee to a mouthwatering menu, but one thing that does not differ is the incredibly diverse range of oddities, decorations and memorabilia that adorn the pub’s walls.
While many of his friends are envious of his new journey as a remote publican, Mr Newman said the job was not as glamorous as many imagined it to be.
“I think they think I sit around drinking beer all day,” he laughed.
“No two days are the same; it’s a lot of work and it’s big hours, and people don’t realise the amount of time that goes into it; it doesn’t matter how busy it is, customer wise, but if you open them doors, the workload doesn’t really change.”
The pub has a clientele as varied as the items on its walls, and Mr Newman said he prided himself on being able to offer a personal touch as the one providing the drinks and conversation.
“We’ve got a couple of locals, the caravan park owners and a couple of other residents that, you know, come and get the same thing every time,” he said.
“You can nearly have it on the bar before they walk in; you can sort of see them coming up the road here and know they’re on the way.
“I’m always happy to sit down and have a talk and beer with locals or visitors, because I like hearing stories.”
He may be too young to help his dad serve punters behind the bar, but Mr Newman’s 12-year-old son, Mason, is already making a name for himself around the pub’s pool table.
“He’s a good pool player; not many people are beating him on the pool table,” Mr Newman laughed.
“He likes it here, because he can get out bush here as well.”
With the tourist season reaching full swing, Mr Newman urged visitors to take the time to stop at the pub on their way to or from Cape York, especially those who had not walked through its doors in a long time.
“I want to build the reputation,” he said.
“I want to build it up more to where I see it being, because obviously, you could say it had been previously run down and not reliably open and stuff like that.
“That’s been my biggest thing – being reliable, being consistent and trying to show people what Mount Carbine is about.”
