Freshwater's Harbord Beach Hotel changes hands after 42 years
Freshwater’s Harbord Beach Hotel is set to change hands for the first time in 42 years following an off-market transaction that took place over the traditionally quiet festive season.
Local real estate investors and developers Glenn Piper and Lachlan Cottee have purchased the property in partnership with a syndicate of local investors for an undisclosed sum from owners John Thorpe and Trish King, who have owned the property since 1978.
The deal was struck in late 2019, with settlement scheduled for February. Both parties said the deal ensured that the property, referred to by locals as the ‘Harbor Hilton’, would remain under local ownership and management, with Mr Piper and Mr Cottee both northern beaches residents.
“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,” said Sean King, who is the son of Mr Thorpe and Ms King and was the pub’s general manager for the past 20 years.
The hotel, which is situated about 100 metres from Freshwater Beach, was built in 1928 and features an outdoor bar and grill as well as the suburb’s only drive-through bottle shop.
Mr Piper said he intended to refurbish the hotel so that it was in keeping the area and the needs of the patrons.
“Harbord Beach Hotel has always been a haven that encapsulates Freshwater’s soul and spirit. 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,” he said.
Originally called Freshwater, the suburb’s name was changed to Harbord in 1923 and only reverted to Freshwater following a public consultation in 2003.
Freshwater is Sydney’s on the northern beaches 17 kilometres north-east of the CBD, and is famous for its association with the introduction of surfing into Australia.
In 1915 Hawaiian Duke Kahanamoku demonstrated board riding at Freshwater beach – the first recorded time that anyone had surfed the clean waves beyond the break in Australian waters.
The sale of the Harbord Beach Hotel follows a significant number of hotel transactions across NSW in 2019, including on the northern beaches.
In May ad man John Singleton and his investment partners sold the Hotel Steyne in Manly for more than $60 million to Sam Arnaout’s Iris Capital.
Further up the NSW coast, ASX-listed Moelis Australia paid a record $100 million for Byron Bay’s Beach Hotel.
