The hard-working Hedditchs have stepped down after more than two decades, passing the keys to the iconic Larrikin Hotel in coastal northern Queensland to an industry newcomer with plans.
Bruce and Halina Hedditch came to the area in 2012 to operate the Larrikin for a few months and stayed for over twenty-two years.
Bowen is a picturesque coastal town in the Whitsunday region, between Mackay and Townsville, roughly 1,100 kilometres north of Brisbane. It lays claim to being the gateway to the world-renowned Whitsunday Islands, 80 kilometres southeast, and boasts local attractions including The Big Mango, Hayman Island, Hamilton Island, Airlie Beach, Queens Beach and Horseshoe Bay.
Known as ‘The Larrikin’, the pub occupies a prominent 1,609sqm corner with dual frontage in the heart of town and has become a cornerstone of the Bowen community – well placed to capitalise on the region’s sustained tourism appeal, counting over than 968k domestic and international visitors in 2024.
After an impressively extended tenure, late 2025 the Hedditchs made the decision to hang up the boots, listing the Larrikin as well as their Orange Grove Hotel in Sydney. Marketing literature noted immediate blue sky in re-activating the unused accommodation rooms and potentially expanding the gaming operation, which holds approval for up to 18 EGMs.
Signing on for the freehold going concern is Cameron Louis, who has come to know the area having travelled through it many times, and has now moved into town to tackle the job.
At the time of takeover the pub wasn’t operating its bistro and there are immediate plans to reinstate foodservice, with a new chef and menu. There will also be internal cosmetic changes within the hotel, aiming to open up spaces and create more ambience.
Louis says they’ll trade through the reno, adding sports and traditional pub-style promotions.
“We’ll also extend the hours a bit, but keep it as a traditional local’s hotel, as it’s the only one in Bowen,” explains Louis.
“It’ll take 12 months or so to get where want to be. We’ve got some major changes planned.”
The large drive-through bottleshop will not be part of the revised hotel. It contains the coldroom, which needs to be replaced anyway. A new refrigeration system is going to be built in the hotel, freeing up the bottleshop building, which will allow for another business or the space to be leased out.
On the upper level, the old accommodation has been stripped back in preparation for refurbishment. However, the rooms, which sport attractive views of the town, will be configured and rented out as short- and medium-term apartments, rather than pub accommodation.
Louis leads a few investors in the acquisition, and the consortium has intensions to buy more hotels, subject to availability and price.
“This is the first of a few we’re hoping to buy, but this one requires a bit of work to get it up to speed,” he concludes.
Bowen enjoys robust investment credentials, recording economic diversity and blessed with coastal appeal in one of Queensland’s strongest tourism regions, and agents anticipate continued active demand for well‑positioned hospitality properties.
“Regional assets continue to attract strong interest from astute operators and investors, drawn by opportunities to unlock value through targeted capital improvements and enhanced operational efficiencies,” notes Savills Hotels’ Leon Alaban, who managed the sale campaign with colleague Joseph Ganim.
“We’re delighted to have achieved a successful outcome for our client.”
