General News
12 September, 2025
Strong winds rip roof off Eureka Hotel
The Eureka Hotel in Rainbow had to close for a day after losing part of its roof during wild winds early on Sunday, September 7, and is now urging residents to keep supporting the pub.
VICSES Nhill units attended the scene at around 8.15am.
The crews arrived to find the parts of the roof that had become loose and subsequently provided temporary repairs before clearing around 12.30pm.
Hotel director Amanda Perris said emergency services were quickly on the scene.
"I'm guessing the wind just got underneath the corrugated iron and sent it flying," she said.
"We were closed on Sunday, but we did open on Monday.
"We had the emergency services here securing what they could."
With insurance approved and construction crews at work, the future of the hotel's upstairs balcony remains uncertain.
"We have been told that possibly there will be no balcony — they ripped the whole thing down," she said.
"The construction guy told me today it will be cheaper just to rip the whole thing down rather than rebuild it."
Despite the setback, the pub remains open as usual and continues to serve the community.
"Please don't stop supporting us," she said.
"The community had been awesome, as we've had so many words of encouragement, and people should keep coming as per normal until further notice."
The construction crews are currently removing old iron and making the roof safe.
While a short closure of the pub may be required if demolition proceeds, Ms Perris reassured locals that meals and opening hours remain unchanged.
"Thank you, Rainbow residents, we couldn't do this without you," she posted on Facebook.
