The shell of a pub in a town that no longer exists has hit the market, and renovators are eager to snap up the iconic hotel for a bargain price.
It’s been 74 years since the last drinks were poured at the Royal Hotel in Linda, a ghost town in Tasmania’s west.
Now all that remains of the pub that once served the bustling mining town is a weathered concrete shell.
The ruins of a pub in a once-bustling mining town has hit the market. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy
But that could be about to change after the mysterious old pub that’s captured the imaginations of thousands of passersby hit the market.
The ruined hotel, along with an adjacent cafe and residence, has been listed for sale for offers over $300,000.
The imposing concrete shell of the pub has survived, but the interior has not. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy
The pub was originally constructed as a weatherboard building in 1901, but was destroyed by fire nine years later.
It was then rebuilt using reinforced concrete to ensure it would stand the test of time.
The pub was built in 1910 using reinforced concrete, which was a relatively new construction method at the time. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy
In its heyday the pub formed a focal point of the mining town of Linda, which sprang up after the discovery of gold at nearby Mt Lyell around the turn of the 20th century.
But by the 1930s, the town had been almost completely deserted, with most homes and buildings dismantled and taken away.
Linda is now considered a ghost town after most of the buildings were dismantled and taken away after the mining industry declined. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy
The pub shut its doors in 1952, and has fallen into disrepair in the three quarters of a century since then.
Its bare walls have been completely stripped, the roof is long gone, and ferns have sprouted from within the mossy floor.
The interior is now fully exposed to the elements, which can be harsh on Tasmania's west coast.
Tasmania's west coast is one of the wettest regions in Australia, receiving more than 2400mm of rainfall annually. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy
Selling agent Dominic Romeo said the ruined pub had become a local icon, and was a hit with roadtrippers exploring Tasmania’s wild west.
“Often people drive past and stop because they just admire looking at it,” he said.
Mr Romeo said the current owner, who once had grand plans to restore the rundown building, had decided to move on to focus on other projects.
The concrete shell of the pub has been standing for more than 110 years. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy
“They were running the cafe until about a year and a half ago; now they’re just using it as a residence,” he said.
“They came from the mainland and their intention was to restore the building, but their circumstances changed and they've got other ideas.”
Mr Romeo said he’d already been swamped with enquiries from buyers seeking to restore the old pub.
“It’s a huge undertaking,” he said. “There are serious restorers who look for these types of projects, although this I would have to say is probably more challenging.”
While the ruined hotel may appear a little gloomy, the attached residence is quite cosy. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy
Mr Romeo, who specialises in selling historic properties and has completed numerous restorations himself, said securing the services of specialist tradespeople to help revive the historic building might prove difficult given the remoteness of the area.
“With any historic building that needs restoration, you need specialist trades,” he said. “There'd be a lot of local tradespeople, electricians and plumbers, but for the more structural things you probably have to go to Hobart or Launceston,” he said.
It even includes a cafe that could cater to tourists exploring the rugged region. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy
In the meantime, the cafe could be re-opened to provide an income stream while renovation plans were drawn up, given the pub’s status as a tourist attraction.
“The commercial kitchen and everything is still there if someone wanted to turn it back to a cafe,” Mr Romeo said.
Linda is now technically part of Gormanston, which recorded a population of just 32 people in the last census in 2021.
The area is frequently blanketed in eerie mists. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy
It too has been in decline for about a century, but bargain hunters have been swooping in lately amid a push to revive the town, with vacant lots selling for as little as $30,000 in recent years.
A one-acre concrete slab in Gormanston sold for $75,000 last year, while a three-bedroom house fetched $220,000 in February.
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