Newcastle's historic Bennett Hotel changes hands in off-market deal

The Bennett is positioned on the corner of Denison and Steel streets and is believed to boast the oldest continuous licence in Hamilton, dating back to 1865.

It is the last remaining of 11 hotels that operated in less than one kilometre of Denison Street in the late 1800s when Hamilton was a busy mining community.

Originally known as The Lame Dog, the hotel was later renamed The Agricultural but was better known as the Tudor, after its original owner Thomas Tudor.

In 1824 it became known as The Bennett Hotel.

It has been owned and operated by the McCoy family since John McCoy and his wife Betty purchased the hotel in 1985.

The property has been sought after for some time, according to Dean Moore of Moore and Moore Real Estate. He brokered the off-market sale to the Turner family, who formerly owned the Lambton Park Hotel and are originally from Sydney.

“The family have agonised over this decision for a long time but feel that not only is the timing right, but that the new owners, also a family group, will carry on their legacy” Mr Moore said.

The sale price has not been disclosed.

The purchasers are set to take ownership of the pub in January.

Mr Moore said interest in the Newcastle hotel market remained strong from Sydney operators due to capitalisation rates being slightly greater in the regional city.

The Bennett Hotel sale comes after Sydney-based Iris Capital bought the Sydney Junction Hotel in Hamilton, the Gunyah at Belmont and the Argenton Hotel from Clare and Campbell Rogers to the tune of $30 million, and then Elermore Vale’s Shaft Tavern in Elermore Vale.

The Burwood Hotel in Merewether also changed hands last month.