A new era beckons for the Birdsville Hotel. Photo montage: Cazza
The Birdsville Hotel is officially and very publicly back on the market, and this time it is expected to sell … despite a monster $5.5m-$6m price tag.
The iconic watering hole located on the edge of the Simpson Desert, 1600 kilometres west of Brisbane and 1200 kilometres north of Adelaide, has been quietly on the market for more than 12 months after failing to sell following a five-week expressions of interest campaign in September last year.
At the time, it was reported that entrepreneur Dick Smith and businessman John Singleton were considering making an offer.
Now, Knight Frank and hotel brokers Steele & Associates have been appointed to handle the walk-in walk-out sale, which includes the award-winning pub, the aviation fuel supply business (operated from the hotel), motel accommodation (comprising 27 air-conditioned units), workers’ quarters, two detached residences and an industrial block.
“The business is substantial, run completely under management and will suit owner operators such as families and individuals, those in the hospitality industry and investors or syndicates,” said Knight Frank director, Tony Ricketts. “Because of the iconic nature of the business, the owners would like to see the pub sold to someone happy to retain its history and character.”
He said strong enquiry was anticipated, particularly as there has been a big spike in local tourism on the back of the Queensland floods.
“Birdsville has become a bucket list destination drawing thousands of tourists who either drive for days or fly in and land on the airstrip next to the pub,” said Mr Ricketts. “There is just something about the Birdsville Hotel that sets it apart from its competitors – an atmosphere that evokes the spirit of a particular type of Australian and a particular approach to life.”
The Birdsville Hotel was built in 1884, and has become the focal point of the celebrated Birdsville Races in September and the world’s most remote music festival, the Big Red Bash, held in July. These two events alone attract between 7000 and 10,000 visitors a year.
Since 1980, the Birdsville Hotel has been jointly owned by Kym and Jo Fort and organic cattle farmer David and his wife Nell Brook.
We stayed at Birdsville many years ago and spent some time in the Pub in the early evening a dust storm blew up and the caravan was not comfortable so we went over to the pub the door was closed and we had some nice cold beer until we went back to the van Bob and Jan.
Back in the early 70s a group led by Arther Hayward from Tasmania along with Bob Montgomery Cameraman plus the Turnam Bros from Brisbane Graeme Johnston Terry Wiffen Joel Johnston from Launceston made the ‘FIRST’ 2wheel drive trip across the Simpson at Birdsville they removed the engines and cleaned out the air intakes they were all powered by 1500 VW engines and then they returned back to Oodnadatta to where they started I actually built one of the machines{buggies] a great trip Bob Jones.