Cooladdi town for sale: two residents put outback outpost on the market for $400,000
Cooladdi is on the market in outback Queensland, with two residents ready to hand over a town that comes with a pub, post office, shop and a four-bedroom home. The asking price is $400, 000, and the sale centers on the Foxtrap Roadhouse, more than 800km west of Brisbane. The move comes as the current owners prepare for retirement and a return to Brisbane to be closer to family.
The sale puts Cooladdi in the spotlight
The listing gives buyers control of a place that operates as much like a service stop as a settlement, with the new owner expected to serve as postie, publican, cook and shopkeeper. Cooladdi keeps its own postcode, 4479, because the post office operates out of the roadhouse. That detail helps explain why the town is still recognized as a distinct place even with only two residents.
Carol Yarrow and Jo Cornel have run the roadhouse since February 2023, and they set out with a three-year plan to bring the quiet stopover back to life. With that plan nearly complete, they are now ready to move on. The sale is being handled within Murweh Shire Council’s area, and the closest major centre is Charleville, about 3, 000 people strong.
What buyers would take on
Cooladdi is being sold as more than a property purchase. The next owner would be stepping into a role that combines several jobs in one, from mail runs to food service and counter duties. Yarrow said the food and the pub are among the main tasks, alongside the post office work that keeps the town functioning.
She described the work as demanding but worthwhile, pointing to the people from the surrounding area who come through the property. Becky Jeisman, the principal agent managing the sale, said the roadhouse could suit empty nesters, a keen young group, or a family wanting a lifestyle change. She added that if a group of four people bought it, the population would double.
cooladdi has a long, uneven history. It was once a railway hub with a population that peaked at roughly 270, then slowly emptied as the sheep industry declined and the trains stopped coming. The school closed in 1974, and the roadhouse later became the point that kept the town connected.
Why this tiny town still matters
Yarrow said the place still draws regular visitors, including people from nearby areas and former residents checking old haunts. Jeisman said properties like this do not come up often and described the operation as a profitable small enterprise with multiple income streams, including the mail run in quieter months.
The sale also raises the question of what comes next for an isolated community built around a single business and a shared routine. For now, the future of cooladdi rests with whoever is ready to take on the pub, the post office and the daily work that keeps the town alive.
As the handover approaches, the key question is whether a new buyer will treat Cooladdi as a lifestyle change, a business opportunity, or both. Either way, the next owner will inherit the responsibility of keeping the general camaraderie at the center of the town.
