DIANE Finn knows all too well that there's nothing so lonesome, so morbid or drear than to stand in a small town with no beer.The Condah Greenhills Hotel caretaker's town exemplifies the plight of rural communities throughout the south-west which are struggling to hang on to their pubs.Licensing fees, national recession, smoking bans and other costs have all put pressure on the viability of the once highly-profitable businesses with several south-west pubs calling last drinks.Many publicans have had to change the way they do business to stay afloat financially. In Cavendish, more than 20 locals bought out the Bunyip Hotel after it was put up for sale two years ago. In Merino, south of Casterton, Melbourne town planner Ian Whalley dusted off old film reels and restored the town's long-forgotten cinema out the back of the historic Merino Hotel. The Cinema Pure Merino Fandango has been a quirky attraction for the pub where shearers and graziers used to share one or two amber ales. But while some small towns have been blessed with entrepreneurial publicans, others haven't been so lucky. Killarney, Garvoc, Purnim and Hexham have lost more than their pubs. They lost places where locals could congregate, share laughs and continue to revel in a shared rural heritage.Condah Greenhills Hotel hopes not to share the same fate. The pub's owner s, Heather Builth and Leigh Beachley, put the hotel on the market two months ago. Dr Builth, an archaeologist, is selling the pub due to other work commitments, but said a combination of factors meant it had been a struggle to keep the pub operational. The global financial crisis, combined with the alcopop tax hike, had resulted in decreased patronage, putting a strain on the small business, she said.The bluestone hotel, built in 1855 and officially licensed in 1860, has long stood as a local landmark."The place is so rich in history and has so much character," said Mrs Finn, the pub's caretaker for the past five years. "If the walls could talk, they'd have plenty of stories to tell."Dr Builth said the loss of the pub would be strongly felt throughout the close-knit Condah community.Small town pubs like the Greenhills Hotel provided social opportunities to residents who would otherwise be isolated on their farms and were especially important in times of drought and financial hardship, she said. "The pub is like the local therapist. People can go and have a talk to the barman and have a whinge. That's really important."Mrs Finn said the pub was also a popular watering hole for commuters driving between Portland and Hamilton."We have people drive from all over the place to come to Condah for a drink. Some people just love the atmosphere of a small town pub," she said."It's been part of the hub of the area for a long time."Despite prophesies of doom to local business when the area's major employer, Green Triangle Forest Products Mill, closed with 130 workers losing their jobs last year, Dartmoor Hotel Motel has continued to thrive.Owners Lorraine and Tex Lipscombe believe new State Government legislation poses the biggest threat to Dartmoor's pub. A recent Government proposal to increase liquor licensing fees will see the cost of the pub's liquor licence soar by 300 per cent.The increased fees are part of the Government's efforts to reduce violence in Melbourne's pubs and bars."Little places like this can't afford it," Mrs Lipscombe said."Ultimately, the extra cost would have to be passed down to the pub's loyal patrons. We like to try and keep our prices down, but someone has to pay for it in the long run."It shouldn't be like that. People pay enough for their grog already."The pub serves meals seven days a week and such is its popularity that it has frequent busloads from Mount Gambier for lunch ."The meals keep us going," Mrs Lipscombe said.Charlie Seddon and his wife Zita have operated pubs in the Mallee and the south-west and were the last proprietors to operate the Garvoc Hotel before last drinks were called in 2006. Mr Seddon said reform of the tax system, changes to liquor licensing and the ban on smoking in bars had all put strain on the local pub's bottom line."Farms have got larger, families have got smaller, which means a lot less people living in the country these days," he said."Many pubs out in the country rely on tourists and tour buses for their trade these days and the usual customers you'd get have disappeared."The other problem, and the city pubs have fared worse then the country over this, is the fact that there's a lot more licensed restaurants around these days. "Every Tom, Dick and Harry can get a liquor licence now ? bowls clubs, footy clubs, cafes, restaurants, you name it, they've all got them."But even as its future remains uncertain, the Condah pub continues to open its doors, providing locals with entertainment and conversation that flows as freely as the beer."We have a good karaoke every month, " Dr Builth said. "We have a fantastic time. Everyone comes and sings." With the next karaoke taking place tonight, locals singing the praises of the hotel will also be hoping the building's next owner will allow the little pub, and the rich history imbued within its walls, to live on.It's a sentiment shared by Dr Builth and Mrs Finn. "It's an historic venue. It's absolutely beautiful. It will leave a big hole in the community," Dr Builth said."I just want someone to buy it and love it."(correct)Other country pubs provide a bus service to the larger regional centres to ensure a healthy number of pub-goers on a Saturday night. co-'said Dianes%uptheirthey havein meals"If you go back even 20 years ago, there were very few places apart from pubs that were licenced in this district.'' said