Community effort: Emmersyn Rea has been the owner of the pub for nine months.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
Junction Hotel owner Emmersyn Rea says it was a herculean effort by all to keep the pub alive as floodwaters rose around Toolamba.
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The Reas have been running the historical pub for only nine months, with staff charging into action to keep the pub going in order feed the hungry volunteers who put in a similar effort sandbagging Old Toolamba and surrounds.
With Ms Rea away in Euroa facing her own flood front, she said she was grateful for her dad, who kept the pub running.
“(I was in town on) the Friday when a lot of people were getting notices to evacuate in the area,” Ms Rea said.
“I'd spent the last two nights here staying at my parents’ house because with everything going on and all the weariness we were trying to prepare for ... the worst-case scenario. And on the Friday we were told that we wouldn't have access to Euroa, and that's where I was living at the time.”
Ms Rea got home to Euroa while she still could, with her sister also joining in the efforts to keep the business open.
The pub became a home away from home for the community as the water rose.
“(People) depend on being able to come down here and sit down and talk about things, especially some of (those) who live alone and don't necessarily have a lot of family to turn to,” Ms Rea said.
“This becomes their family, especially during (tough) times.”
The pub ran throughout the following days with no power — and only a small generator to help keep serving food and drinks.
“We lost power,” Ms Rea said.
“We lost all of our freezers. We had no lighting and the generator was only enough to power one of the freezers. So we were left ultimately with all of this stock.
“So we started up some really, really cheap deals.“
Aftermath: Owner Emmersyn Rea reflects on the efforts of community members to look after one another.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
She said what made her proud during the flooding crisis was that the community was able to band together.
“You know, everyone's fridges and freezers were starting to empty out, they had no electricity ... so the pub was the place to be,” Ms Rea said.
“People were spending the day ... sandbagging all day for 12 hours and then they'd come back here at the end of the night.
“But our community is so amazing. They were just so thankful we could feed them and (be there for them) like a true community.”
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