Penarie is a small settlement about 32 kilometres north of Balranald

Balranald, New South Wales

Balranald is a town and local government area in the Riverina district of New South Wales, Australia. At the 2006 census the population was 1,216....

, in the Riverina

Riverina

The Riverina is an agricultural region of south-western New South Wales , Australia. The Riverina is distinguished from other Australian regions by the combination of flat plains, warm to hot climate and an ample supply of water for irrigation. This combination has allowed the Riverina to develop...

 district of New South Wales

New South Wales

New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...

, Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

. It is part of the Balranald Shire Council

Balranald Shire Council

Balranald Shire is a local government area in the Riverina area of western New South Wales, Australia on the Sturt Highway. It is the location of World Heritage listed Mungo National Park. It includes the towns of Balranald and Euston...

. Penarie is situated at a junction on the road between Balranald and Ivanhoe

Ivanhoe, New South Wales

Ivanhoe is a small township on the Cobb Highway between the Lachlan and Darling rivers in New South Wales, Australia.  It is located within the Central Darling Shire local government area.  Ivanhoe functions as a service centre for the surrounding area.  The township is...

, where a branch road leads to Oxley

Oxley, New South Wales

Oxley is a community on the lower Lachlan River in the Riverina district of New South Wales, Australia.  It is located near the junction of the Lachlan and Murrumbidgee rivers.  The township which developed in the mid 1860s was named after the noted Australian explorer, John Oxley...

. Penarie was formerly known as Homebush.

History

On 26 July 1877 Michael Dowdican made a conditional purchase of land at the Balranald-Ivanhoe-Oxley road junction and built the Homebush Hotel, which commenced operating in 1878.

Michael Dowdican held the license of the Homebush Hotel until 1896. From 1897 until at least 1900 the publican was William H. S. Wilkinson.

Mrs. Catherine Prendergast, widow of Patrick Prendergast (a pioneer of Maude

Maude, New South Wales

Maude is a village on the north bank of the Murrumbidgee River in New South Wales, Australia. It is in between Hay and Balranald in Hay Shire. It is located 55 kilometres downstream from Hay and 25 kilometres upstream from the junction of the Lachlan River with the Murrumbidgee. At the 2006...

village), “conducted the Homebush Hotel for several years”.