Established in 1879, the famous North Gregory Hotel has been the community’s beating heart since the beginning. She is, and forever will be Australia’s Queen of the Outback.

The original ‘Gregory North’, as it was called at the time, burnt down in 1899. It was quickly rebuilt. Tragedy struck the Grand Old Lady again in 1916 when another fire tore it down. But — once again, the hotel was rebuilt. In 1946, tragedy struck the North Gregory yet again, when a third fire swept through it. The council of the day, recognising the importance of the hotel, helped raise the Gregory from the ashes. Construction of the new brick hotel began in 1952, and the present North Gregory Hotel was opened in April 1955. 

With heritage steeped in her bones, she’s a true Aussie battler, surviving fires, drought, and hardship, the affectionately named Queen of the Outback has a past to be proud of. It was here at the Gregory on April 6, 1895, that Australia’s unofficial national anthem, Waltzing Matilda, was played in public for the first time. During the 1920s, secret meetings took place at the hotel, as Winton locals met to form a small airline called QANTAS. The 36th president of the United States, Lyndon B. Johnson, stayed with us when his plane was forced to land in the Outback during World War.

Many have passed through her doors over the years, each leaving their mark in some way on this Queen of the Outback. Her dining room features original etchings by acclaimed artist Daphne Mayo. Don’t forget to keep your eye out for our friendly ghost Edgar Peters. Boy, does the old settler like to joke around.