Another of Victoria’s historic yet unprotected pubs will soon be no more, with operators of The Vic in Avoca sadly announcing its impending permanent closure.
Stuart Diggerson and his father Steve took on The Vic in 2015. The family has been in the business for the past 35 years, but sadly Steve passed away in July.
The pub was first built in 1858, and boasts stables at the rear added in 1873. Major additions came in 1930, although some areas are still the original structure.
Sadly, as is all too common amongst classic hotels in Victoria, while the stables are protected under national heritage, the pub is not.
The current freehold owners have held the title for 30years, and reportedly not been diligent with maintenance. Approaching the end of the lease, Stuart attempted to negotiate work to be done before he picked up his further option, but the two parties couldn’t come to an agreement.
He says it is “beyond repair” and would likely need extensive money invested to bring it back to scratch. He believes there are plans to pull it down.
“Now it’s destined to become something else,” Stuart laments. “It’s a crying shame. The locals are sad, as they’ll no longer have a country pub to go to.”
The Diggersons had previously held their own plans for the place, hoping to make a success of the lease and maybe one day buy the freehold. They attempted to revive the dormant accommodation rooms upstairs, but the required licensing has been allowed to lapse and many things had to be brought up to code, making it cost-prohibitive for them.
After more than seven years, with family money sunk into the business, he has reached the point where he has had to bail out.
Avoca is a town in Victoria’s central highlands, around 200 kilometres north-west of Melbourne, with a local population of circa 1,100 people plus a steady influx of tourists and day-trippers.
The other pub in town is the Avoca Hotel, which has been renovated in recent times as predominantly foodservice, and pitches exclusively to tourists.
Unable to continue in the crumbling structure, Stuart is thinking of taking on a manager’s job at another pub, looking at 6 November as the last official day of trade at The Vic.
“I’d love to stay where I am, but it’s not conducive,” he says. “I’ve already started selling stuff. I’m pretty much done.”
