The entire town of Cooladdi in outback Queensland is for sale for $400,000 AUD, according to multiple reports. The sale includes the Foxtrap Roadhouse and a four-bedroom home, and the town is located more than 800 km west of Brisbane, Queensland. Cooladdi has exactly two residents, according to major media, who are Carol Yarrow and Jo Cornel. They took over the roadhouse in February 2023 with a three-year plan to revive the town, but Carol Yarrow is retiring and Jo Cornel wants to return to Brisbane to be closer to family. Carol Yarrow described the roadhouse as offering food and pub services, with mail runs as part of the post office, and noted the strong local community within about 70km, according to The Guardian - Main UK.
Cooladdi was once a bustling railway hub with a population that peaked at roughly 270, but its school closed permanently in 1974. Beryl and Bob Fox built the Foxtrap Roadhouse around the time the school closed. Carol Yarrow described a lot of history in the town, with former residents who moved to Charleville and surrounding areas often visiting to check out old haunts, according to The Guardian - Main UK. Cooladdi retains its own postcode (4479) because the post office operates out of the roadhouse, and its name reportedly stems from a local Indigenous word for 'black duck'.
The food and the pub are probably one of the main jobs; we also do the mail runs as part of the post office.
Becky Jeisman from Charleville Real Estate is managing the sale, with Cooladdi located within the Murweh Shire Council and Charleville as its closest major centre. Charleville has a population of about 3,000 and an average house price of about $210,000. The sale price of $400,000 AUD is equivalent to about £210,000 GBP. Becky Jeisman described that technically, there are only two people currently living in Cooladdi, with the population calculated based on how many people own the Foxtrap Roadhouse, meaning if a group of four buys it, the population will double, according to The Guardian - Main UK.
The exact closing date or deadline for the sale of Cooladdi has not been announced, and it is unclear what specific legal or zoning restrictions apply to potential buyers. The current financial performance or revenue of the Foxtrap Roadhouse remains undisclosed, and details on interested buyers or the expected timeline for the sale are not yet available. Carol Yarrow described Cooladdi as offering a great change of pace and a laid-back lifestyle for those tired of city life, but the specific terms or conditions of the sale, such as maintenance responsibilities or community obligations, have not been specified, according to The Guardian - Main UK.
I've always found the best thing is the local community ... the people within around 70km who come through the property.
There's a lot of history here. Since the residents left – many moving out to Charleville and the surrounding areas – people will come to visit who grew up here, to check out the old haunts.
Technically, yes, there are only two people currently living in Cooladdi. The population is calculated on how many people own the Foxtrap. It is the town, and if a group of four people buy it, then the population will double.
For those tired of city life, Cooladdi offers a great 'change of pace' and a laid-back lifestyle.