The original hotel was built in 1925 but burnt down in 1930. The old hotel (above) was built in 1932, by Mr and Mrs Bill Gannon. The Gannons resided in the shire for 50 years, and the hotel still bears their name. Featured in the movie of Neville Shute's "A Town Like Alice" filmed in 1956, Gannons had its moment in the world spotlight.

The new Gannons Hotel was rebuilt in 2016 by the owner, Peter Hayden, after burning down in 2015. Peter has always kept the name of Gannons. Julia Creek is a major service town for the Gulf cattle industry, and is a major rail trucking centre in the north west of Queensland , handling around 48,000 head of cattle annually.