What is not mentioned in the links above is that Gordon Parsons, who wrote the song based on Sheahan's poem, and Slim Dusty did not see the song as hit potential.It was first sung by Parsons who was touring with Slim Dusty as part of the Slim Dusty Show in the Theatre Royal in Townsville in 1956. Slim asked could he use it as a flip-side for his next single and Parsons agreed. Before the single was released, they embarked on a major tour of Australia lasting almost 2 years, and every venue they played they were amazed to hear requests for "Pub with No Beer", but nobody was talking. Months later, Slim Dusty got an L/P in the post, with just a note to say "I thought you might like this". The concert had been recorded and pressed to L/Ps by some guys who went 2 or 3 days ahead of the scheduled tour selling the bootleg L/Ps.
Slim Dusty's record company later asked him had he got a good copy, as they wanted to release it as a collectors item. "No problem,", said Slim," but I don't see the point, every fecker in Australia has the bootleg ". You can get a copy on CD "The Slim Dusty Show" EMI 8324072.
There were no copyright problems with Sheahan. Slim Dusty finally tracked him down and Sheahan said since he wrote it as a poem, and it's being lying in Newspaper Archives foe 12 years, he would not be making any claim on it. Slim insisted on giving some reward to Sheahan, and asked had he any more poems that might make a song. Slim set music to some of his poems, including "When You're Short of a Smoke", which is just as sad and dreary as "Pub With No Beer".

First verse:
"The weather was wet, it had rained all the week,
My camp and tobacco went down with the creek
They floated away--'mongst the Ti Tree and Oak
They left me lamenting, and short of a smoke"

Can't write anymore, I'm getting emotional!
You might find a copy of "Songs from the Canefields" by Dan Sheahan in a library or on the net. Well worth a look.