The pub has an estimated price tag of $2 million. Photo: Paul Huskinson/Canberra Real Estate Photography.
For more than 130 years, the Royal Mail Hotel has been pouring pints in southern NSW. Now, it’s up for sale.
Nutrien Harcourts Braidwood real estate manager Reg O’Connell said the owner of the historic hotel was looking for a new pair of hands to see it into the future.
He said owner Jamie had owned it for about 10 years, but decided it was time to put it on the market earlier this year.
“Jamie does a great job. He’s up and down the stairs all the time … He’s now into his 70s, and it’s beyond him now.”
The Braidwood institution gathered a loyal following over the decades, as locals and visitors alike stopped by for a drink.
“We’ve had a number of pubs back into the gold rush days – probably something up to 50, I think, in the main street area [of town]. That was way back [in the past],” he said.
“Now we’ve only got two.”
Mr O’Connell said the hotel, originally called the Royal Hotel, changed its name in 1969 when international rockstar Mick Jagger was in town to film a movie about bushranger Ned Kelly.
In modern times, the hotel comes with 16 refurbished rooms and other facilities on the 1558 sqm block.
“It’s been totally refurbished. There’s nothing that anyone would need to do to bring it up to modern standards,” Mr O’Connell said.
It also offers a commercial kitchen, two bars, a function room (complete with a grand piano), a bottle shop and an ATM.
“[The piano] is included in the sale. That area has become a bit of a local area for the jazz people to show their wares and such on Sunday afternoons, and it’s become very popular.
“That’s the style of hotel – it’s a very fine example of Victoria architecture.
“It’s got chandeliers and ballroom-type [rooms] with three-and-a-half metre ceilings. It’s a grand old building.”
There are also EV charging ports and nearby car parking.
Mr O’Connell said the asking price was for offers over $2 million.
For him, interest from Sydneysiders and Canberrans searching for a tree-change was proof of what locals had long known.
He pointed to Braidwood’s destination wedding venue, Mona Farm, owned by the Pulver family, which often brings visitors from the big smoke to town.
“Anyone going to the coast has to drive through the main street of Braidwood, and that is over 3 million traffic movements over the year. Although a lot of those cars would be the same people [heading the other way].
“It’s quite a lot of traffic, and it’s an iconic trademark or landmark on the way to the coast.
“Braidwood has finally been discovered.”
The Royal Mail Hotel is located at 145 Wallace Street in Braidwood. Check out its menu and events or book accommodation at its website.
Further information on the sale is available on the hotel’s listing.
