Vic town calls for help to rebuild pub

When a rural Victorian pub burnt down last year, grown men were brought to tears - and now they need help to rebuild the "heart and soul" of their community.

The town of Buchan, in eastern Victoria, has started a crowd funding campaign so their beloved hotel can rise from the ashes.

When the 120-year-old Buchan Caves Hotel burnt to the ground it left the community of 400 without a watering hole.

"If someone died, you held the wake there. If a baby was born, we celebrated the birth there," former pub owner Greg Brick said.

"We had grown men standing outside the burning pub drowning in tears. The pub was our social centre and it kept the community connected."

The "Let's Build a Pub" campaign has until Thursday to reach the $600,000 target, so far it's raised $366,000.