Ending more than four decades custodianship, former AHA NSW President John Thorpe has sold the iconic Harbord Beach Hotel to local real estate tycoon and industry newcomer Glenn Piper.
Thorpe and partner Trish King took the reins to the landmark pub beside Freshwater Beach in 1978, and have owner-operated it since, with son Sean King GM for the past two decades.
Raised in the pub with his brothers and sister, King has lived opposite for the past 25 years and says the decision of whether or not to sell and to whom was one they took very seriously.
“After meeting Glenn, we recognised that he not only has the energy and enthusiasm to bring new life to the venue, but importantly a genuine love for the area that will ensure this local pub remains a local.
“I am very much looking forward to enjoying it as a regular and watch it evolve under Glenn’s care and ownership.”
The family has earned a place in the heart of the Northern Beaches as the face of the historic pub, built 1928, the design based on a Samoan resort. Its adjacent beach is reputedly the home of Australian surfing, where Hawaiian legend Duke Kahanamoku first demonstrated the ancient art of surfboard riding.
Piper, a registered real estate agent and director and shareholder in developer Pyco Group, has an extensive background in residential property investment and portfolio of hundreds of clients across Australia. Founding Meridian Australia in 2011, he has personal property investment on the Northern Beaches, in Manly Vale, Freshwater, and Curl Curl, immediately north of the pub, where he currently resides.
Attracted to its striking façade and place in the community, he approached the vendors a year ago to begin negotiations on the private sale of the pub known locally as the Harbord Hilton.
“Harbord Beach Hotel is undoubtedly one of Sydney’s greatest pubs,” says Piper.
“It is so much more than a pub; it is an extension of the community, informed by the surf culture that has long been embedded within the name, and we are committed to taking our time and doing it justice.
“It will be a privilege to continue Patricia King and John Thorpe’s legacy and serve the local community.”
Piper is understood to have retained over 50 per cent in a partnership for the acquisition, bringing along fellow Beaches resident Lachlan Cottee and a small syndicate of local investors, for a purchase price reported at around $30 million.
The new owners will receive the keys 10 February, and spend time getting to know staff and locals before refining plans for a refurbishment, spending up to $3 million revising the offering, potentially including plans to convert the upstairs accommodation into a rooftop bar.
