For sale: The hotel where Ned Kelly came out swinging

A hotel steeped in the notorious Kelly Gang’s bushranger history is to be sold in country Victoria.

Hotel Nicholas will cause a stir in the town of Beechworth when it is sold at auction on December 9, but not nearly as much as of a ruckus as Australia’s most infamous outlaw Ned Kelly reportedly caused there in 1874.

The hotel, built in 1857 and named The Hotel Alliance, was renamed the Railway Hotel in the early 1870s and thrived at the height of the gold rush era, attracting patrons who would go on to earn a place in Australian folklore.

It was again renamed as Hotel Nicholas in 1931 when Walter John Nicholas bought it and added a second storey.

But it’s a period in the late 1800s that has kept historians and tourists the most intrigued, with the hotel having played a part in the Kelly Gang’s infamous rise and fall.

Hotel Nicholas is steeped in Kelly Gang history. Picture: Supplied

The hotel’s owners tout an area just behind the hotel as the site of Ned Kelly’s brutal bare-fisted fight with Isaiah “Wild” Wright in 1874, which last 20 rounds and came after both men were released from jail, having served jail time over the theft of a horse.

The Railway Hotel’s front bar is also reportedly the place where Paddy Byrne and Jack Sherritt finally met to talk for the first time, 20 years after Sherritt’s brother Aaron was murdered by Byrne’s brother Joe and Kelly’s brother Dan.

The property … gives its visitors a unique sense of local history

Colliers International agents Will Connolly and Pat Connolly have been appointed to sell the famous property, in conjunction with Doug May from Chapman Gould & May.

Will Connolly says the hotel is a step back in time and presents an opportunity for hotel and tourism operators with a penchant for history.

“The property has been lovingly and meticulously maintained by the current operator and, together with an impressive collection of artefacts and memorabilia, gives its visitors a unique sense of local history,” Connolly says.

The hotel has been a Beechworth staple since the late 1800s.

“It is one of the most impressive hotels in north-east Victoria.”

The hotel has a liquor licence until 1am and returns an income of almost $1.075 million annually.

Connolly says Beechworth’s reputation as a tourist hotspot weighs heavily in the Hotel Nicholas’ favour, particularly over the summer months.

“We’re expecting strong interest in the property and expect likely buyer types to be either current owner operators or former residents of the area who know the region well,” he says.

“Towns such as Beechworth experience a high level of tourist activity over this (Christmas and summer) period and it would be a great start financially for an incoming operator to begin their tenure at this particular time.”