14 Oct 2022
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Tracey Prisk Real Estate View
`Priscilla Queen of the Desert' outback hotel, the Silverton Hotel is for sale
Now is your chance to own a piece of Australian screen history as the pub that's hosted the casts and crews of such iconic films such as Mad Max 2, Priscilla Queen of the Desert and countless television commercials goes up for sale.
The Silverton Hotel, 25 kilometres north of Broken Hill, has become a mecca for film buffs and overseas visitors wanting to down a beer at one of the country's most iconic pubs.
According to Peter Price, who has owned the pub with his wife Patsy for 13 years, it's a hotspot for about130,000 visitors a year.
Over the years the pub has served as a meeting place for actors and production crews shooting nearby, however the pub itself has also made it to the big and small screen.
According to Mr Price it's been temporarily "re-named" 22 times for various film and television productions including Razorback, Wake in Fright and Mission Impossible.
Most recently the latest Mad Max installment Furiosa was shot nearby.
He estimates the couple has spent about $1.8 million in upgrades to the property since purchasing it.
"We've done a lot of work on it and it's sitting prime for not much expenditure on infrastructure, someone can take it to the next stage," he said.
He said during busy periods the pub has served 300 meals in a lunchtime and currently employs between 12 to 14 staff.
"It really is a great pub," Mr Price said.
The pub is being offered for sale via Resort Brokers' Chris Kelly for $3.25 million.
"This isn't an ordinary hotel," Mr Kelly said.
"The memorabilia throughout the hotel is stunning. The Mad Max car at the entrance still makes sounds like the movie is still being shot.
"This place is like Uluru or the Great Barrier Reef and is a place all Australians should make a prerequisite to visit at least once, not to mention the internationals."
The hotel features a rustic bar, expansive beer garden which seats 300 people and has a stage,a bistro that seats 45 people,an in-ground swimming pool and seven newly-constructed rooms for accommodation.
According to Mr Kelly it returns a net annual profit of $310,846 and there are no poker machines.
"We've proved a pub can still work very successfully without poker machines a lot of people commend us on that," Mr Price said.
According to Mr Kelly the hotel currently serves more than 1,000 meals per week and maintains an accommodation occupancy rate of more than 70 per cent.
There's also a separate manager's residence located close by.
According to Mr Kelly the pub's film association has proved a big drawcard for tourists but there are other nearby events which also attract customers.
"They have three major yearly events [including] St Patrick's recovery day in March which has about 600-700 attendees for a one-day event," he said.
"Also the now-annual Mundi Mundi Music Festival that is eight kilometers past Silverton and can attract up to 10,000 fans.
"Then in September they host the Sunday- leg of the Broken Heel Festival and up to 800 people attend the one-day event."
The pub is also a stop-off point for a number of events such as the NSW Variety Bash.
According to Mr Kelly pubs are still selling well with large groups of buyers working together to purchase hotels at a time when pubs are seen as good investments "riding a wave of tourism never seen before".
"This property has been managed and developed by a couple with no previous hotel experience who are looking to hang up their bar aprons," he said.
"This could be run by people again with no experience who learn on the trot or by experienced people in the hotel game or a portfolio looking to add to their current portfolio."
