WOMEN IN STYLE | Meet Grace Cheatley

The Heart Behind The Bar

Grace’s journey into running The Stockman Hotel is one grounded in family, resilience, and a deep love for community. Our latest Women In Style feature talks motherhood, farming and running a business in a small community.

You’ve taken on the incredible task of running the family pub—what inspired you to step into that role, and how has the journey been so far?
Talk us through what it’s been like stepping into the business, especially taking over from your mother-in-law.

It has certainly been one of the most challenging transitions in my life so far, yet one of the most consistently rewarding ones too. Having been involved in the business on and off in the years prior to taking over from Helen, it wasn’t something completely new. I had been working alongside Helen both on farm and at the Stockman, taking onboard a lot of her advice and teachings from her years of experience. She was ready to move on and after a few discussions, Dennis and I decided we’d love to keep it in the family. I was also still looking for something of my own in Texas, not that I didn’t love working full-time on the farm, but I wanted to immerse myself in a career trajectory that required aspects of my past studies and leadership qualities. It wasn’t easy at the start, and my pregnancy certainly challenged me mentally, more than I thought it would. But after a fresh refurbishment inside, becoming more confident in myself as a mum and spending a lot more time physically in the pub, I’m slowly carving an idea of what the business could become – and it’s exciting!

What does life look like these days as a new mum and small business owner in regional Australia?
We’d love to hear about how you're juggling motherhood with running a busy outback pub.

To be honest, it’s all a bit messy and imperfect a lot of the time, but we are making it work! We have an amazing group of staff at the Stockman that our fantastic customer service reputation can be attributed to. Helen is such an amazing support and help with Hallie, allowing Dennis and I to work on the businesses together. When Helen is away, it’s a juggling act of tag-teaming between Dennis and I and with the help of other amazing family members close by. More often than not though it looks like Hallie on my hip waving at our patrons, snacking on chips in the highchair behind the bar, in the pram in the cattle yards or out mustering with Dennis and I.

How have you made the pub your own while still honouring its legacy?
Tell us about any changes you’ve made, the energy you’re bringing, and what you want it to represent in the community.

A coat of white paint, some modern décor and some fresh new events so far. I wanted to brighten the interior up but keep Helen’s rustic country charm vibe alive. The pub showcases aspects of Texas history, with large wallpapers of photos from the local historical museum that I designed along with parts of our family history mixed with some bright coloured art that expresses a big part of my style. In terms of legacy, we will continue as a biker-friendly pub welcoming large groups travelling through town, hold a strict zero tolerance of negative behaviour and work with a family-friendly, community-minded focus that Helen has built over the last nearly two decades. We want the Stockman to grow as a vibrant and welcoming country venue with a touch of class that offers quality meals, service and experience to both locals and visitors to Texas.

What does community mean to you—and how does it shape the way you do business?
We know country life is deeply connected to people. How has that influenced your vision or values?

Community is everything! Having moved to Texas in 2020 from Geelong, VIC after meeting Dennis, the transition was only made easier through connection with the community. I do always say to people that my short time living in Melbourne felt lonelier than it ever has in Texas, 1600km away from my friends and family. But there’s something about a small country town that offers far more opportunity for connection than a big city. Our Texas community is full of friendly faces, smiles and conversations. The diversity and sheer amount of people that you have the chance to connect with through the pub is huge, and I think one of my most important roles in the business is to connect with those people. Showing genuine curiosity and interest in people you do know and those that you don’t from behind the bar creates an atmosphere of engagement and familiarity. A smile, a laugh, a question and a connection create a warmth I hope to continue to ingrain in the business.

What are you most proud of so far, and what’s next on the horizon?
Whether it’s business or family, what’s keeping you inspired as you look ahead?

I’m proud of my many transitions over the past six years and how I have gradually adapted to life in the country and as a mum. I’m excited to watch Hallie grow as we immerse her deeply in our life on-farm and in the pub. I’m inspired by Dennis’ commitment to the family property even after many challenging setbacks and his ability to keep showing up. Experiencing challenging times together and riding the up and down waves of life in agriculture inspires me to keep moving forward and to appreciate the learnings as I go. Life on the land and in the country has taught me so much but in particular how rewarding it is to be a part of something larger than ourselves.