One of the most distinctive pubs in Australia, the original wonky-walled Ettamogah Hotel outside of Albury, is for sale together with its madcap Maynard cartoons glorifying bush life.
The Ettamogah Hotel was built and opened in 1987, in Table Top, in the Murray region, around 13 minutes outside the key border-straddling regional hub of Albury-Wodonga.
Ken Maynard was an Albury local and he depicted a pub and many local characters in cartoons, published in the Australasian Post from 1959, for almost 50 years. The name of the watering hole in his cartoon was Ettamogah, which is an Aboriginal word meaning ‘place of good drink’.
Inspired by the cartoons, businessman Lindsay Cooper decided to build a replica of the distinctive structure, with its unique slanted walls, bull-nosed veranda and signature 1927 Chevrolet truck stressing the bright red roof.
The two-storey Hotel, elevated from the carpark, features a single bar operation amid a sea of themed paraphernalia. Outside is a large beer garden and a fenced children’s play area. There are both internal and external staircases leading upstairs, where there is a commercial kitchen and bistro, and wide verandas facing north and south.
Another four structures include the bistro barn, seating 80 guests, a museum of Maynard memorabilia and souvenir offerings, various retail spaces, currently vacant, and a reception venue, plus 17 accommodation cabins. Unpowered camping and caravan facilities are also provided on an expansive, grassed oval.
These facilities are on the western side of the 4.81-Ha site, and the large amount of surplus land lends itself to hosting live music, private events or festivals, or even residential development.
Early plans for the estate originally considered a caravan park and expanded retail village.
The highly distinctive and brightly coloured pub has become a roadside landmark and prized photo opportunity for travellers. It has spawned replicas, built and operated under licence, in Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, Cunderin in Western Australia, and at Kellyville Ridge in Sydney – now owned by ALH.
As well as the famous pub and infrastructure, on offer is a rare cartoon portfolio of around 1,500 original artworks and video footage of the Ettamogah characters and associated brand, including the ‘Ettamogah Mob’, ‘Lil Larrikins’ and ‘Whackaville’.
Ownership includes full copyright and trademark rights, providing a purchaser the franchising rights and all associated intellectual property.
The real estate and IP could see a combined price of $50 million, but they may be sold separately.
Devotee Leigh O’Brien acquired the Ettamogah Hotel in 1997 and has spent the better part of three decades preserving its legacy and cultivating the comprehensive collection of IP and physical assets.
After kicking the market tyres in 2019 he is now looking to retire and suggests he has laid the foundations for the brand to be leveraged across Australia and beyond.
“The time’s come for me to step aside and hand the hotel over to its next owner,” O’Brien says.
“Now it’s over to someone new to take it forward into its next iteration.”
Albury counts resident population of around 60K, indexed to continue growing steadily. The city sees nearly 1.8 million overnight and day visitors annually, which has grown around seven per cent YOY.
Being sold is the hotel and nationally recognised brand, roadside landmark and tourism magnet, and opportunity to leverage the pub’s nostalgic value and image across multiple markets and formats.
It is offered by way of an Expressions of Interest campaign closing Wednesday, 29 October, through Savills ANZ’s Leon Alaban, Drew Mitchell and Hugo Weston, who tip it will appeal to a particular buyer type likely to want to sustain and further the Hotel’s legacy.
“This presents a rare opportunity to acquire an iconic Australian hotel, and a carefully curated portfolio of Australian cartoon assets,” states Alaban.
“The large site also offers abundant potential for repositioning and redevelopment either as an expanded tourism property, QSR or even medium-density residential.”
