The Historic Wombat Hotel located on the corner of 1571 Wombat Road is set to go to auction on Friday 27 October at 1pm. In what is called the world famous ‘wombat’ pie on the menu, it’s buzzing from counter lunches to dinners seven days a week. Right on the Olympic Highway, it’s simply not Australian to pass the pub without stopping for a schooner and pie.
Brian McManus from Brian McManus Real Estate says the property has the potential to add motel cabins and is a great investment for those starting out or adding to their portfolio. “I don’t think it will last till Auction. The Wombat Hotel is a special little beast. They had 80 bookings for lunch one Saturday. It’s one of those pubs that’s knee deep in meals seven days a week,” McManus said. “The passing traffic on the Olympic Highway and its name, sort of make it a working man’s pub and it always has been. You get cherry pickers, shearers, and every man and his dog stop there for a beer.
“It’s got no current accommodation but does have potential for 12 motel units up the back, subject to council approval of course. “There’s a real high demand in the Hilltops and the Riverina for accommodation at the moment. Most motels are travelling at 95 percent occupancy, so it’s just a matter of needing it.” “It’s only been listed with me for a few weeks. From my marketing so far, I’ve had inquiries all over Australia, even overseas,” McManus continued. “It’s a different style of pub and there seems to be a great demand in the area for it. I’ve had probably 60,000 viewings on social media so far, it’s going nuts. 
“The current owners want to sell it for a change of lifestyle. The owner has been running pubs for a while. He sold the Coolac Pub a couple of years ago and his wife wants to get out of the pub industry. “There’re two marks. There’s an eight year and then about a 15-year mark that publicans tend to operate for before they get out. The Wombat Hotel is famous around Young, Harden and Cootamundra, and it’s about to spread its reach even further.
Tim Warren 
