The 142-year-old Tatts Toowoomba has sold for $6.2 million to the operators that have been curating its offering and reputation for the past five years.
The two-storey brick hotel was built as the Tattersall’s Hotel by Richard Godsall in 1883, on a 753sqm property opposite TG Robinson & Co’s Tattersall’s horse bazaar. The street served as a thoroughfare for beasts on the way to and from market, and prospective buyers gathered on the hotel balcony to view horses paraded for auction.
Featuring more than a 1,000sqm of entertainment space, over time it has become a cornerstone of the city’s live music scene.
In 2021 The Tatts began a new era as local business owners Barry and Christina Scarborough took on the operation, bringing virtually no hospitality experience and five kids, aged 16, 15, 14, nine and three years.
“I honestly don’t know what I was thinking,” Christina says.
Incorporating the skills and resources of their other businesses, Aspect Joinery and Ink Creations, and with a vision considering the needs of existing loyal patrons while creating an environment that welcomed newcomers, they quickly began renovations.
Within the first year they had rebuilt it “from the ground up” and turned the business around.
In November 2025 freehold owner Mario Strasek listed the title, attracting interest from buyers both locally and nationally.
A “very rapid” campaign was conducted by Scott Williams of SGW Hotels and the asset was tipped to sell “within days”.
Battling stiff competition, the Scarboroughs fought off the competition to take the title, settling this month. Capping a five-year project, they hint at further long-term plans.
“To say I’m proud of what we’ve achieved over the past five years is an understatement,” beamed Christina. “We didn’t just hit our goals, we smashed them.
“This is just the beginning. Get ready for the next five years — we’re only getting started!”
The Tatts is the latest in a string of recent sales in the Toowoomba region, including transactions through SGW on Omara’s Hotel Stanthorpe, the Shamrock Hotel Motel Toowoomba, and the Inglewood Hotel.
Williams says his client, Stasek Investments P/L also recently sold the St George Hotel, and was “happy with the result” at The Tatts.
