The iconic Walkabout Creek hotel, immortalised in the 1986 blockbuster Crocodile Dundee, has officially changed hands after approximately three years on the market. The Queensland establishment, which served as the backdrop for one of cinema's most memorable pub scenes, now enters a new chapter under local cattleman Angus Brodie and his wife Jo Cranney.
From Silver Screen to Real Life
Located in the Gulf Country town of McKinlay, nearly 1,600km north-west of Brisbane, the Walkabout Creek hotel became globally recognised through Paul Hogan's portrayal of Michael J. 'Crocodile' Dundee. The film remains Australia's highest-grossing cinematic production to this day, with the pub scene introducing audiences worldwide to the charismatic crocodile hunter.
The new owner, 33-year-old Brodie, has a personal connection to the Dundee legacy that dates back to his childhood. "I was about eight and auditioned for a role as an extra when Paul Hogan and Co rolled back into town for Crocodile Dundee 3," Brodie recalls. Though disappointed at not securing a part in the less-successful sequel, he acknowledges the original film's enduring power.
A Global Talking Point
The pub's cinematic fame has provided what Brodie describes as "bragging rights" for the local community. "I've travelled overseas when I was younger and it's always a good talking point," he says. "You can say: 'Oh yeah, my local pub is out of Crocodile Dundee' - and that's globally recognised. You could be in New York or London, you say that, and people are amazed."
Ruari Elkington, a creative and screen industries lecturer at Queensland University of Technology, emphasises the cultural significance of both the character and the pub scene. "That is a character who would go on to cast a really, really long shadow, culturally, for Australia," Elkington states. "Not just for how we are seen by the rest of the world... but also the idea of Australian film."
Reality Versus Hollywood Fiction
While the film portrayed a rough, intensely masculine atmosphere with bar fights and crocodile wrangling, Brodie assures that the modern Walkabout Creek offers a more diverse and welcoming environment. "There's a little bit less of that," he laughs when asked about the film's wilder elements. "It's not quite as wild west as in the movie."
The pub now attracts a varied clientele including station workers, jackaroos, travellers, and local families. Brodie and Cranney, who also manage a nearby cattle station while raising two young children with a third on the way, emphasise the establishment's inclusive nature. "Our clientele, that's one of the best parts of the pub," Brodie notes. "It's literally everybody, from every walk of life - which is great - and everyone sits at the bar and has a yarn. Everyone's welcome."
Perhaps the most surprising revelation for fans of the film is the absence of actual crocodiles in the area. "You've gotta go a few hours north of us before you get into saltwater crocodile country," Brodie reveals. "There actually aren't any crocs here, which is quite ironic, being the famous croc pub."
Elkington observes that the film's portrayal created something of a double-edged legacy, presenting an Australia that remains unfamiliar to most Australians who predominantly "cling to the coast." Yet the Walkabout Creek hotel continues to honour its cinematic history while evolving into a genuine community hub that reflects contemporary Australian values.
