Cheers to that! Mogumber tavern saved from uncertain future after locals buy historic tap house

Mogumber locals have rallied together to buy the town’s historic tavern, saving the beloved taphouse from disrepair and transforming it into an all-encompassing community hub. Locals pitched in to purchase the 130-year-old establishment in December after longtime owners Ken and Pearl Harrison decided to make good on their retirement plans. Formerly known as the Black Bull Tavern, the business has been re-branded as The Mogumber Hub and recently celebrated a “soft re-opening” after six months of major interior renovations. It’s now owned by the Mogumber Outback Club, an incorporated not-for-profit community group that raises funds through initiatives such as the annual Mogumber New Year’s Eve Rodeo. MOC secretary Pauline Bantock said the tavern’s temporary closure highlighted how important it was to the tiny Wheatbelt community, located 120km north-east of Perth. “It was hard for the community not to have that social interaction on a daily basis, where you could just pop in and see people,” she said. “From a community aspect, you need something that pulls you together . . . to make sure that you actually go and catch up with people and socialise. “Especially on big farms — you can get wrapped up in your own little world where you don’t even see your neighbours.” It was Ms Bantock — who is also the Shire of Victoria Plains president and a Mogumber Hub board member — who hatched the scheme to buy the tavern, though she credits the Wheatbelt towns of Nyabing and Kulin for the inspiration. The idea took further shape after a “lightbulb moment” during a chat with Shire of Kent president Scott Crosby during a local government conference in Perth. “He was telling me how the Nyabing Hub had purchased their tavern down there, and how they had structured it so that it was under pure community ownership through their progress association,” Ms Bantock explained. “Prior to that, there’d been a lot of banter going around the town about what would eventually happen with the tavern as Ken and Pearl moved towards retirement. “There were people saying, ‘well, should we get a group of people to buy it . . . or do we take the chance and see whether they put it on the market and maybe someone else comes in and buys it?’ “After I’d had that conversation with Scott, I was like, wow, we could actually do this . . . and it’s a way to make sure everyone can be involved.” The idea was pitched at MOC’s annual general meeting and from there, “it just gained momentum massively”, Ms Bantock said. A GoFundMe page was set up, though the bulk of the money raised has been sourced via proceeds from the rodeo and donations from the local district. The renovation kitty was bolstered by a “foundation membership drive”, which has to date attracted individual $1000 donations from 111 people, whose names will be immortalised on an honour board inside the Hub. And with a grand opening still in the pipeline, Ms Bantock said MOC was still being contacted by locals wanting to chip in and become foundation members. “We’re letting our new managers settle in and get their staffing structure sorted, and get the kitchen up and running to the point that they’re happy with, and then then we’ll select a date (for the grand opening),” Ms Bantock said. “It’ll be in the next couple of months, probably, and definitely before harvest cranks up, because we want to make sure that everyone gets to enjoy it.” Money has also been flowing in from local businesses including platinum sponsors Gilmac and Mogumber Plains SheepMaster stud. Stud owner Peter Williams, who is chair of the Mogumber Hub board, described the tavern as “the glue that helps the community stay connected”. “It can be a bit tough, because you’re always working and if you haven’t got something close by, there’s not a lot of things to keep you together,” he said. “It’s still a licenced premises, so you can still go down there and have a beer if that’s your inclination, but you can also get coffee or a meal, and get together and have a chat. “It also provides a venue for celebrations and things like that.” The latter is an important function for locals, given the town itself has little more than six houses, a hall, an oval, and a post office that opens twice a week. The locality of Mogumber is home to just 58 people, most of whom Ms Bantock said lived and worked on outlying farms. “It’s a blink and you miss it kind of town, but it’s always had a really strong community and a really strong ethic for volunteering, and that’s how we’ve managed to do this project,” she said. “It has been a good employment opportunity for some people in the district, but we also have volunteers stepping in when needed as well.” The Hub is now open and serving dinner seven nights a week, as well as lunch on Saturdays and Sundays, thanks to the recent arrival of full-time managers Dave and Nelly Philp. “They’ve here a few weeks now, and they’re settling in absolutely fantastically,” Ms Bantock said. “The community’s got big smiles on their face and are just feeling so blessed to have them here.”