Not long after pastoralists and their workers started to populate the Innamincka area in late 1882, a police outpost was set up on the banks of the Cooper Creek, followed closely by a general store. Soon after, in 1885, Howard Kearns of Farina lodged plans to build the Innamincka Hotel on the banks of the Cooper Creek. The hotel thrived as a refuge for drovers, pastoral workers and shearers who, believe it or not, used to ride their bicycles up and down the Strzelecki track looking for work.
The pub survived until 1952 when the entire town virtually closed when modern transportation methods meant the town was no longer a viable concern. Its assurance as a ghost town was confirmed in 1956 when a massive flood swept through the area virtually demolishing any remaining buildings.
The pub's revival came in the 1970s with a surge in 4WD vehicles and people wanting to explore the outback. Santos also discovered oil and gas in the area which further boosted the town's resurgence.
The new Cooper Creek Hotel-Motel opened in 1973 which and subsequently re-named to the Innamincka Hotel in 1983 after its licence was briefly suspended and a new licensee appointed.
The Front Bar remains largely untouched to this day and is adorned with outback and historical memorabilia. The Outamincka bar/dining room was completed in 2008 and is now the centrepiece of the pub offering an outback dining experience like no other.
Further additions include a water filtration plant which sees every tap in the pub run with clean, clear potable water from the Cooper Creek. A considerable investment in solar power sees the hotel running with the help of a 200 KW standalone power system.
