Historic Williamstown 'golden age' pub hits the market
A landmark corner pub on 983 square metres of land in one of Williamstown’s most sought-after pockets has come to market, offering buyers a rare blend of heritage charm and untapped development potential.
Located at 147-149 Douglas Parade, the double-storey hotel sits just moments from the waterfront and Williamstown’s bustling village precinct. With its striking early-20th-century facade – featuring the original signage – polished interiors and a valuable 200-person licence, the property is already attracting solid enquiries from hands-on operators.
Adam Caruso of Joseph Louis Realty says the building has attracted a range of prospective buyers since the campaign launched.
“This is one of the pubs built in the golden age of pubs,” he says. “I’ve had everyone from owner-occupiers to publicans themselves come through. It’s been all people wanting to use it – not passive investors. Someone who would run it, someone who lives there, someone who sees the opportunity on the ground.”
Part of that appeal comes from the pub’s unique configuration. The hotel includes roughly 340 square metres of underutilised land to the side, which is an increasingly valuable commodity in tightly held waterfront areas like Williamstown.
“It’s a bit of an unusual one,” Caruso says. “You’ve got the pub itself, and then this big area next to it that could be developed, subject to council approval. If someone leased out the pub and then activated the yard, there’s real upside.”
Upstairs, the accommodation level offers further potential, with around 10 rooms, kitchen and bathroom facilities, a laundry, and a rooftop terrace with views across Douglas Parade.
Many period details remain intact, including functional fireplaces and generous ceiling heights that reflect the building’s origins; however, Caruso says it’s primed for updates.
The hotel was built in 1856 as a weatherboard, which burnt down. It was rebuilt in 1914 by Carlton and United Breweries into the building seen today – a solid, double-brick Federation-style building that has earned heritage protection.
“People come through and tell me stories about what the place used to be over the decades,” Caruso says. “It hasn’t been heavily renovated, just small things over the journey, so those original features really speak for themselves.”
