When a mining company bought their farm, Diane and James Pearse moved over the back fence and took up a new challenge, reinvigorating their local hotel.
Story By Kathy Mexted
It’s a well-worn track to the front door of the Cross Roads Hotel in Tomingley, NSW, and not just because of its popularity. It lies 900 kilometres south of Brisbane and 800 km north of Melbourne on the Newell Highway and has bar yarns that stretch back 134 years.
In 2013, Di Pearse took over as licensee at The Cross Roads, making her only the second woman in the pub’s history to do so. “I grew up in England and came to Australia with a working holiday visa in the late ’80s,” Di says. “I found myself in Moree, working as a cotton chipper, and that’s where I met James. I never imagined I’d be settling in Australia, but after 24 years here it is definitely home. I love the weather and particularly the rural lifestyle.”
This Story is from Issue #99
Outback Magazine: Feb/Mar 2015
