Just a short ride south of Wagga Wagga, the Uranquinty Hotel is a genuine Riverina country pub with more than a century of stories behind it. Known locally as the Quinty Pub, it remains an important meeting place for the community and a welcoming stop for travellers exploring the Riverina.

A Piece of History

The story of the hotel goes back to 1890, when William Hardiman was granted a licence for Hardiman's Hotel at Sandy Creek, providing accommodation and hospitality for people travelling through the growing railway settlement. The hotel was renamed the Uranquinty Hotel in 1911, and the original building was eventually replaced in 1925. The historic hotel still occupies the same site today.

Uranquinty itself grew rapidly with the arrival of the railway. The railway station opened in 1880, originally known as Sandy Creek Station, and the village became an important stopping point for railway workers, farmers and travellers.

The town also has a remarkable wartime history. During World War II, Uranquinty became home to No. 5 Service Flying Training School, where more than 2,000 pilots and airforce personnel trained between 1941 and 1958. After the war, the village's migrant camp was used by approximately 28,000 displaced people between 1948 and 1951.

Things to See & Do

Uranquinty is a great place to break a journey through the Riverina. Explore the Wirraway Park Airforce Memorial, which commemorates the pilots who trained locally and subsequently lost their lives overseas. Interpretive displays around the village also tell the story of the wartime airbase and post-war migrant camp.

For riders, the surrounding Riverina countryside provides plenty of quiet roads and open farmland to explore. And if you're feeling hungry, the local Quinty Bakehouse is another popular stop, having earned a silver award for its pies in the NSW competition.

Annual Events

Time your visit with the Quinty Folk Festival, held over the October long weekend. The village also hosts an annual Christmas celebration featuring outdoor carols, Christmas lights and the wonderfully quirky "Decorate a Cow" competition.

The Uranquinty Hotel itself is also a hub for local events, including trivia nights, raffles, live entertainment and community activities.

Did You Know?

Uranquinty has had three different official names. It began as Glenrouth, became Uranquintry in 1889 and was officially changed to Uranquinty in 1966—although locals had already been using the name Uranquinty for decades.

So when you're travelling through the Riverina, take the time to leave the highway behind, explore the village and discover a pub with more than 130 years of history.

And, of course, don't forget to stop at the Uranquinty Hotel, enjoy a great country feed and collect your Great Aussie Pub Feed Passport stamp.

🏍️ Ride • Eat • Explore • Support