Culminating a history that stretches across more than a century and multiple generations, the stalwart Dougherty family have passed their beloved and historic Clocktower Hotel to Marty Short and partners as Welcome Hospitality.
The family and extended connections have owned hotels in Grafton since 1908. In 1947 they bought the Royal Hotel and over time four family members across three generations have been licensee.
In the late 70s they rebuilt it, trading through a two-stage project that saw the moniker updated to become the Royal Tavern.
Bill Dougherty Jr was licensee from 1989 to 2006, when after 59 years of their operation they closed it to make way for an extension of shopping world.
The Commercial Hotel was established in the heart of Grafton in 1860. It was renamed the Freemasons Hotel in 1895 and then the Parkview Hotel in 1977.
But mid-2002 the Parkview was destroyed by fire. The site on the corner of Prince and Pound streets sat dormant for several years until the Dougherty family purchased the 1,221sqm plot in 2007.
The liquor licence was transferred from their long-owned Royal Tavern, and the family oversaw construction of the new Clocktower Hotel, named in honour of the town’s iconic central timepiece.
A new brick hotel was completed in 2008, designed to complement the city’s historic streetscape, and the following year the Clocktower Hotel was awarded Best New/Redeveloped Hotel – Country. It provides a public bar, sports bars, gaming room, commercial kitchen and bistro, and a café.
Bill continued as licensee, now at the new Clocktower, for another 18 years. His immediate family all spent time working the hotel, seeing his wife Lyn and their three children Emily, Joshua, Thomas, and even his son in law, Shawn.
“Many extended family members have worked behind the bar over the years pouring that perfect beer with a smile, but a long chapter has now come to end,” reflects Bill.
Welcome Hospitality has been part of the Northern Rivers region for a decade and offer that taking over the iconic Clocktower marks a significant step in the group’s continued growth on the Coffs Coast and northern NSW.
Welcome has strived to build a reputation based on strong family values and genuine hands-on involvement, supporting local initiatives such as Lifeline North Coast, and group GM for northern NSW, Carl Mower, says they are proud to be taking over the Clocktower.
“It’s a significant step for us as we continue to grow our footprint in this region.
“We want to acknowledge Bill Dougherty and his family for the legacy they’ve built at the Clocktower. We’re honoured to take on that legacy and build on it.”
Mower notes the Hotel’s proud history as one of Grafton’s landmark venues, and says that is something they don’t take lightly.
“We’ve tried to live by the same values that built this company — strong family principles, genuine care for the towns we operate in, and real involvement in the community – whether that’s backing local sporting groups or simply being a business people can rely on.
“Our plan is simple: keep doing what’s made the pub a local favourite, while adding the support, resources, and community-first approach that’s been our hallmark for the last ten years.”
Short is a relatively new partner in Welcome, and speaks to a buoyant future on the coast.
“We’re looking forward to getting to know the Grafton and Clarence Valley community, and to being good neighbours here for many years to come.”
A sale campaign was conducted for the Doughertys by Hugo Weston of Savills Australia, who, announcing the transaction in April, said the $10.5 million price represented an 8.4 per cent yield and a “strong result” for NSW coastal pubs.
“The sale of the Clocktower Hotel is a strong signal of confidence in the region and highlights the continued growth we’re seeing across the NSW coast.”
