After more than two decades at the helm, Bruce Hedditch cements retirement plans with a sale campaign on the iconic Larrikin Hotel in coastal northern Queensland.
Bruce and Halina Hedditch came to the area in 2012 to operate the Larrikin for a few months. Twenty-two years later, they are still there.
Affectionately known as ‘The Larrikin’, the pub occupies a prominent 1,609sqm* corner in Bowen, with dual frontage to Herbert and Powell streets. It comprises a well-appointed public bar with TAB and Keno, gaming room with 12 machines, bistro, beer garden set up for dining, upstairs accommodation and a manager’s residence.
There is immediate blue sky in re-activating the accommodation rooms, which are currently not in use, and potentially expanding the gaming operation, which has approval for up to 18 EGMs.
The hotel is well positioned to benefit from the region’s thriving tourism sector. Bowen and its surrounds welcomed over 968K domestic and international visitors in 2024.
A picturesque coastal town in the Whitsunday region, Bowen is found between Mackay and Townsville, roughly 1,100 kilometres north of Brisbane. The area is a gateway to the world-renowned Whitsunday Islands, situated just 80 kilometres southeast of the hotel.
Other attractions within a 100-kilometre radius include The Big Mango, Hayman Island, Hamilton Island, Airlie Beach, Queens Beach and Horseshoe Bay.
Bruce Hedditch, who only recently retired after 12 years as chairman of Bowen Chamber of Commerce, says the town is “something of a hidden secret” with tremendous industry opportunities.
He sees the economy getting stronger courtesy of both private sector investment and confidence by the state government, which recently allocated $33 million for infrastructure to open 1,900 new lots on the edge of town.
Bowen is one of the country’s largest horticultural areas during winter months, with a lot of backpackers coming to town to pick crops. Over the Christmas period they’re collecting mangoes.
Brisbane-based Bowen Water Company is in the process of finalising permission to construct a pipeline into town that will open up thousands of hectares of farmland.
“Interest is being shown in the region,” says Bruce. “It’s just happening … good things are starting to be recognised.”
After years as dedicated Bowen residents, the Hedditchs are hanging up the boots, having also listed their Orange Grove Hotel in Sydney.
“I’m just getting too old,” explains Bruce.
“The Larrikin’s a great little hotel, with tremendous possibilities for an owner-operator or partnership to run.
“It’s got everything, and potential.”
Bowen and the wider Whitsundays enjoy strong investor interest, driven by sustained tourism growth and infrastructure investment, and The Larrikin represents an opportunity for either an established group or a new entrant.
“Freehold going concern hospitality assets in this tightly held region are increasingly scarce, making the offering of the Larrikin Hotel an excellent opportunity,” offers Savills’ Joseph Ganim, marketing the pub with colleague Leon Alaban.
“Its strategic location and long-standing presence in the community position it as a highly desirable acquisition for investors seeking exposure to one of Queensland’s most sought-after coastal destinations.”
An Expressions of Interest campaign on the freehold going concern closes Wednesday, 15 October.
