Peter and Pat Ward bought the Railway Hotel in Temora in December last year after deciding they were keen to take on a new business adventure rather than retirement.

"Pat and I retired from hard work in 2015 and bought a place up in Tea Gardens, and I picked a casual job at the local club, and that kept me happy," Mr Ward said.

"But, COVID changed a lot of things. I didn't want to retire even though there was no work available. So I said to my wife, why don't we sell up here, go home and see what opportunities become available."

Then the hotel came up for sale, and now the Wards have a lot of work ahead as they restore the building to keep the heritage alive.

The pub first opened in 1908 and has had multiple owners in the last century. Mr Ward said this became apparent when they tore up the first layer of flooring to find another five or so underneath.

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"The town itself is very proud of trying to keep as much visual heritage as they possibly can ask business owners to do," Mr Ward said.

"We want to be a part of that, but when we bought the place, we didn't realise some of the problems we were going to encounter. There were a lot of hidden areas that were disasters."

The old bartop has been removed, but it will be restored and cut down to make the new bar benches, and the interior paint on the brick will be removed.

The kitchen is being extended to allow for more prep room, as the Railway Hotel will be home to four eating areas - each with a different menu.

Mr Ward said some of the wood throughout the hotel will be reused to make new tables for the restaurant area.

"This place, if it was looked after well, could last another 100 years," Mr Ward said. "We want to restore and recycle as much as possible."

Mr Ward grew up in the pub and hotel industry, with his parents owning some establishments in Temora.

He went on to work in it himself but took a break after being the victim of an armed robbery.

But, Mr Ward said, taking on the Railway Hotel was the right way to re-enter the world of beers, bistros and barside banter but added the world of pubs is very different now.

"People used to be irresponsible with their drinking in the sixties," he said.

"My dad was a very staunch bloke. If he thought any of the drinkers had passed their use-by date, and he would take their keys and make them sleep in the spare room. It's different now, but what hasn't changed is that pubs are a place where communities are formed."

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