Hotel Richards 'The Rock'

21/09/2026

🙌🏻👉 LAURIE & SHERYN HANNA 👈🙌🏻
🐂❤️ A HUGE thank you to Laurie and Sheryn Hanna, long-standing supporters of our Rodeo, for their generous sponsorship of our event! 🐎👏🏻

🌾🐄 The Hanna family proudly owns and operates a successful Santa Gertrudis agricultural operation, with a strong commitment to quality cattle. 🇦🇺

🏆🐂 Over the years, their breeding expertise has helped develop a top line of cattle renowned for quality and performance. Their dedication to agricultural excellence and their ongoing support of our community is something we truly admire! 👏🏻🌟

🤝🏻❤️ Their generosity makes a real difference and greatly contributes to the success of our Rodeo. We are incredibly proud to partner with such dedicated and respected members of the livestock industry. 🐎🔥
🐂🌾 Their passion for cattle breeding, agriculture and community involvement truly makes a difference!

🙌🏻 Thank you again, Laurie & Sheryn, for your continued support of our Rodeo! We are incredibly grateful! ❤️🐎🤠

21/09/2026

Thanks Bob!!

🎒🇦🇺 BACKPACKERS ARE HERE FOR A GOOD TIME…. NOT A LONG TIME 🇦🇺🎒

The Albanese government’s attack on backpackers is illogical as best and, at worst, just down right stupid.

Overwhelmingly the pathway to permanent migration is through the student visa scheme and not backpackers.

In our regions backpackers pick our fruit, pour our beers, clean our hotel rooms and make our coffees… they spend monies earnt exploring our wonderful country.

Very few stay and those that do integrate into our communities.

Backpackers must be encouraged and welcomed into Australia … they are NOT and should never be considered to be part of the backdoor migration cohort.

They’re just here for a good time…. not a long time.

And for that I thank them for coming here, doing the work, spending the money and having the adventure.

🤠

21/09/2026

Couldn’t have said it any better…

Running a hospitality business in a small regional community like Ilfracombe comes with its challenges, and one of the biggest is finding enough people to work alongside our local team, particularly during our busy tourism season.

Over the years, Working Holiday Visa holders have become an incredibly important part of our operation.

They work behind our bar, in our kitchen, Coffee Hatch and accommodation, helping us provide good country hospitality that visitors expect when they walk through our doors.

But their contribution goes well beyond the Wellshot.

While they’re here, they live locally, shop locally, eat locally and spend locally. They become customers of other businesses, attend community events, meet our locals and experience what life in a small Queensland town is really about.

For communities like Ilfracombe, every extra person matters.

Working Holiday Makers also bring something pretty special to our pub. We’ve had people from different corners of the world become part of the Wellshot family, share their culture and stories with us, and in return experience a part of Australia they may never have discovered otherwise.

Some arrive knowing very little about Outback Queensland and leave with lifelong friendships, incredible memories and a genuine connection to our community.

That’s why the future of the Working Holiday Maker program matters to us.

Regional hospitality and tourism businesses already face significant challenges attracting workers. Any changes to the program that affect how many Working Holiday Makers come to Australia, how long they can stay, or their ability to work in regional communities could have a very real impact on businesses and towns like ours.

We support protecting the Working Holiday Maker program and ensuring regional tourism and hospitality businesses have a genuine voice in any decisions about its future.

Because out here, Working Holiday Makers aren’t simply filling a roster.

They become part of our pub, part of our community and part of the story of the Outback. ❤️

Help us and other regional communities! Please consider signing and sharing the below petition!

https://www.change.org/p/protect-working-holiday-maker-backpacker-visas-in-australia

19/09/2026

🙌🏻👉 HOTEL RICHARDS “THE ROCK” 👈🙌🏻
💙 A heartfelt THANK YOU to Hotel Richards Mitchell for their ongoing support of our Rodeo! 🐎🤠
Your generosity, commitment and support mean the world to us and truly help make our event so special! 🫶🏻🎉
🍻 We encourage everyone to stop by and say hello to the friendly team on your way to the rodeo! 🤠 You’ll be greeted with a warm smile 😊, a cold drink 🍺 and a tasty pub feed 🍽️ in a welcoming atmosphere! ❤️
🏨 Hotel Richards has been a cornerstone of Mitchell since 1938 and, as a family-owned, locally operated business, they embody genuine hospitality and community spirit. 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦❤️
🌟 Whether you're after:�🏡 A relaxing weekend�👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 A family holiday�💼 Comfortable accommodation for a business trip you can always count on their friendly service, clean rooms and great rates! 🙌🏻✨
💥 Thanks again, Hotel Richards, for your continued support and for being such an important part of our community! Your kindness truly makes a difference. ❤️👏🏻
🤠🐎 Be sure to support the businesses that support our Rodeo! 🐎🤠
👇🏻 Give them a follow below! 👇🏻
🔗 https://www.facebook.com/share/1CYCbcxFku/?mibextid=wwXIfr

19/09/2026

Uncle W***y backing the Roosters for a win today. Up the Roosters

17/09/2026

Our new daily special Crispy Soy Pork Belly!

16/09/2026

✨Volunteers still needed for the bar! ✨
If you are interested in holding a market stall please message our page. 🤠
Watch this space to stay up to date! 🤘

11/09/2026

Tonight’s meat tray winners!
Ede J and Darren Dodd !

10/09/2026

This is a copy and paste, but we do need to be loud. Many of our businesses in town will be affected if the changes go ahead. Please take the time to add your signature…

We need your help.

This week we were in Canberra with a delegation of Queensland tourism and events leaders, advocating strongly against proposed changes to Working Holiday Maker visas.

The message we heard was clear: we need to be loud, and we need to show how many people and businesses this matters to.

Working Holiday Makers aren’t permanent migrants. They come here temporarily to work, travel, spend money in our communities and experience everything Australia has to offer before returning home.

They also help businesses fill critical roles, particularly during seasonal peaks and in regional communities where finding enough local workers can be incredibly difficult.

And this doesn’t just affect tourism operators.

For all of us, it could mean restaurants and bars opening fewer days or closing earlier. It could mean less table service, longer waits, fewer tours and experiences available, and businesses being unable to operate at full capacity during our busiest periods.

It also places more pressure on owners and permanent employees and makes it harder for businesses to grow, invest and provide the level of service we all expect.

This isn’t about arguing against responsible migration settings. It’s about making sure legitimate temporary visitors aren’t caught up in a much broader migration debate.

A decision could be weeks away, not months.

So, I’m asking my friends, colleagues and networks to please take a minute to sign this petition and then share it. We need as many voices behind this as possible.

https://www.change.org/p/protect-working-holiday-maker-backpacker-visas-in-australia

Every signature and every share will help. Thank you.

Protect Working Holiday Maker (Backpacker) visas in Australia