One of Victoria's most iconic bush pubs is set to reopen later this year and its new owners promise the 160-year-old establishment will retain much of its original charm.
The Kevington Hotel, 250 kilometres north-east of Melbourne, will open its doors in spring, more than two and a half years after its previous owners closed the pub due to bushfires and pandemic-induced lockdowns.
Situated on the Goulburn River on the road between Mansfield and Woods Point, new owner Daryl Cashmore said his new venture into becoming a publican was a daunting but exciting prospect.
"It's such a beautiful place and we didn't want it lost for history," he said.
"There were a few people who wanted to buy and close it and use it as a private home, so we thought we would buy it and give it a go."
Established originally in 1862 as Garrett's Beer House by John and Mary Garrett, the pub remained in the same family for almost a century until it was bought in 1957 and renamed the Poplar Hotel because of the towering poplar trees which surround the pub today.
Historians believe it is the last remaining hotel in operation in the Upper Goulburn Valley region built during the gold rush era.
"I'm not a publican and don't pretend to be but we're keen to give it a go," Mr Cashmore, who bought the pub in April, said.
"Even though we own it, we like to think it's community-owned and we're just the custodians who will take care of this beautiful place."
"My mum was born and bred here, my grandparents were born and bred here and my great-grandparents were born in the area, in fact my grandfather was born just a few miles away from The Kevington, so I feel a real obligation to keep it going."
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Kevington has a population of 45 people is located 45 kilometres south of Mansfield and 47 kilometres north-west of Woods Point.
Among his plans with wife Wilai, the pair will spruce up the old accommodation rooms for guests, returning them to an early 1900s era with period-style furnishings.
"For its age, she's in pretty good nick," Mr Cashmore said.
The couple lived abroad in Thailand and Indonesia for 17 years before returning to the nearby town of Jamieson four years ago where they opened a local Thai restaurant.
The pub boasts many early materials such as Baltic Pine floors and its original shingles below the tin roof.
"I learnt when the local plumber was out there, and he's at retirement age now, but he showed me the room he lived in when he was 18 or 19 and worked at the pub as a general handyman," Mr Cashmore said.
"Inside the rooms if you look around the skirting boards, there is narrow corrugated iron around the bottom of the walls.
"He said back in the Depression era, they cut up old oil tins and used them for building material and if you look closely, you can see the Shell oil stamps and the Shell decorations stamped into the tin."
Despite the pub having a number of official names over the years, locals refer to it as the Kevi or the Kevington Hilton, a subject of folklore according to Mr Cashmore.
"That story dates back to the 19th century because apparently one of the Hilton clan were out visiting the area and called in for a beer and loved the place and stayed,' he said.
"Legend goes the Hilton family gave the publican at the time permission to use their name and it's stuck since."
One of Mr Cashmore's iconic Volkswagen Kombis will also likely become a regular staple outside the pub where he plans to use the establishment as a place to highlight local produce.
"Certainly we want to promote local beers and wines," Mr Cashmore said.
"But we understand people have their favourites so we will put on tap what was out there before and what the most popular was too.
"My favourite pub food is bangers and mash so we will try and make that a prominent pub meal too."