Junee Hotel listed for sale on 2275-square-metre Riverina site
Grab your train ticket: a hotel in the NSW Riverina town of Junee with links to the state’s historic Inland Rail has been listed for sale.
The Junee Hotel occupies a substantial 2275-square-metre freehold landholding in a prominent town location, with 40 metres of street frontage. It is moments from Junee train station.
Originally known as the Railway Hotel, the pub opened in 1878 to take advantage of the expanding NSW rail network. It was rebuilt in 1911 with an imposing Federation filigree facade and a wraparound balcony.
For generations, it has served as a rest stop for travellers on the NSW railway and a meeting place for locals, according to HTL Property agent Ben Kennedy.
“It is a true heritage asset and has been a prominent fixture in the township for almost 150 years,” he says.
In addition to the main bar, the hotel generates revenue from a bottle shop and a bistro that serves traditional pub grub with a focus on local Riverina ingredients.
Upstairs, 25 well-kept accommodation rooms attract holidaymakers exploring the region, as well as workers involved in Junee’s various industries.
The outdoor beer garden includes a children’s playground, and there is ample on-site parking.
The property’s approximate weekly turnover is $25,800, about $22,500 of which comes from the bar, bistro and bottle shop.
Junee, a town of about 5000 people, is situated roughly 40 kilometres north-east of Wagga Wagga and benefits from a diversified regional economy supported by agriculture, manufacturing, transport and government services.
It is also on the route of the NSW Inland Rail upgrade, which will bolster the freight capacity of some 1700 kilometres of railway line and link Melbourne to Brisbane, bypassing crowded rail routes along the NSW coast.
The upgrade is bringing workers and investment to the Junee area and bodes well for the hotel’s future, Kennedy says.
The pub is also positioned close to two of the town’s major employers: Junee Correctional Centre and Junee Prime Lamb.
“If you are seeking a foothold in the Riverina hospitality market, the hotel’s prominent positioning and proximity to major infrastructure investment make it a particularly attractive proposition,” Kennedy says.
Visitors to Junee can learn more about the railway’s history at the Junee Roundhouse Railway Museum. Other attractions in town include the Junee Liquorice and Chocolate Factory, which offers chocolate-making classes, and the Bethungra Olde School T-House, an historic schoolhouse-turned-cafe.
Although the hotel is being offered as a going concern, there is significant scope for upgrades, particularly to the guestrooms, which currently share bathrooms.
The vendors, who are the property’s long-time operators, are selling in order to move closer to family.
HTL Property is accepting expressions of interest until November 18. Kennedy declined to provide a price guide.
