Betoota is a small town in the southwest of the Australian state of Queensland . After the death of its last resident, Sigmund "Simon" Remienko, in 2004, the place, which was once granted town charter, no longer has a permanent population. Administratively, Betoota is part of the approximately 95,000 km² Diamantina Shire , which is about the same size as Bavaria and Hesse combined, but according to the 2016 census only has 291 inhabitants.
The place is located on a dirt road 170 km east of Birdsville and 227 km west of Windorah and once had a certain importance as a place to eat, drink and later refuel.
The hotel, which was run by the last resident, a post-war immigrant from Poland , from 1957 to 1997, was built in 1880 and is, if it still stands, the last building in the city. Sigmund "Simon" Remienko closed the hotel for health reasons, but continued to live there after surrounding it with a wire fence to discourage potential visitors.
