Regional Communities

It used to be famous for having the longest bar in the southern hemisphere until a disgruntled patron hacked a bit of it off with an axe one night. Now the much-loved Captains Flat Hotel is getting dusted off and reopened for a new era.

Ben Olschewsky was heading to the bush for a four-week building maintenance contract. Fourteen years later, he can't imagine living anywhere else.

Regional residents often travel hours for specialised health care or go without, now a new model of healthcare is bringing help via the skies.

The basketballer from country Western Australia signs a contract with Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA after missing out on draft night.

After being shuttered for a year due to a critical shortage of midwives, the Woonabie Birthing Unit will be available to women with low-risk pregnancies who are at 37 weeks or more gestation.

Alpurrurulam, on the Northern Territory-Queensland border is a long way from anything but not even distance can keep the newly formed girl's footy team from playing.

Albany football club Railways say it's even willing to let its rivals choose the name if they win an upcoming raffle to raise money for a major redevelopment at its home ground.

After five years of lobbying and a significant investment, the Shire of Augusta-Margaret River hopes a local childcare centre will be open by the end of the year.

This 140-year-old police barracks had no running water, electricity or doors, but it wasn't enough to put Kim and Alan off transforming it into their family home.

A popular nudist beach on the NSW far north coast will soon close after the state's National Parks and Wildlife Service found no alternative for a clothing-optional area.

Carmel Marks is among a growing number of people making a transition from traditional gardens, saying the planting of natives on her property was the self-sustaining answer she had been searching for.

A two-hour commute from the Sydney CBD, Wollondilly Shire seems an unlikely place for a battle between new housing and heritage laws. But a plan to protect a local landmark is causing division.

Danny Reinhold will be allowed to keep living in his rented bus after Local Government Minister Hannah Beazley granted him a permit — but the Shire of West Arthur will continue its legal action against him. 

The Shire of Cunderdin agreed to the demolition of its hospital in exchange for improved health services — 10 years later, the centre has been built but the community has been left without overnight or palliative care. 

The first international route flying directly into regional WA since the state's borders reopened has marked an "incredible" tourism opportunity.

When Rob Rankine saw the local nursing home sitting empty, he decided to do something about it. Now 18 people, including employee Mia Harris, have a place to call home. 

The Royal Automobile Club of Queensland has been LifeFlight's key sponsor for 30 years — that is about to change as an organisation that provides vital services broadens its span.

Reduced prices have seen V/Line passenger numbers increase but the promised extra rail services haven't appeared — which can lead to packed carriages and longer commutes.

Before participating in stand-up workshops, Torren lacked confidence and was "a bit of a reclusive person" but is now trying to make comedy a career after being a state finalist in a recent competition.

The search for a former real estate agent who had not been seen since late May has ended with the discovery of his body in central Victoria.

Doris Odgers spent most of her life making clothes for herself and her community. Her collection of 1900s dresses, bathing suits, hats, lace, and more was recently on show in an exhibition to remember the life and fashion of a beloved regional woman.

Before bounce-down even begins in the first round of the season, the Ravensthorpe Tigers and Hopetoun Sharks know they'll face each other in the grand final.

The Ravensthorpe and Districts Sports Association play on the isolated south coast of Western Australia, and may be the only league in the country where players are guaranteed a ticket to the grand final before the season begins.

Nuclear reactors, if they are built, will be in the backyards of farmers such as Darren Jensen. He's thrilled by the prospect, but not everyone in town is.

Can you imagine having nowhere to buy lunch? Almost a year after opening its doors, the local cafe in the Mallee town of Beulah has closed its doors, and farmers and tourists have to look elsewhere for a bite to eat.