ROB JUBB (LEFT), PAUL JUBB AND NICK BEDDING. CREDIT: LINDA HIGGINSON
Like the Franklin Wharf site the Telegraph Hotel, located just a few minutes’ walk across the road on Morrison St, had also sat empty for a period of time – albeit only since April 2021. The leasehold was acquired by the Australian Venue Co in July, and the company then revealed a $5 million refurbishment which includes a rooftop terrace with views of the waterfront. This was the key piece of the upgrades, with the rooftop terrace armed with retractable roof coverings and heating. Built in 1858 as the Electric Telegraph Hotel, which was gutted by a fire in 1939 and had to be rebuilt, the Hobart landmark has otherwise stood largely unchanged for 164 years until its recent makeover, re-opening to the public last September. F or Shippies general manager Rob Jubb, planning the $1 million renovation on the landmark heritage- listed pub in Battery Point was a delicate balancing act between modernisation and preserving close to 200-years of history.
in partnership with former Australian star cricketer James Faulkner and former managing director of Shadforth Financial Group Nick Bedding, is revered among sailors and the upgrades were completed just in time for last year’s Sydney to Hobart after lengthy delays. “We felt the timing was right to get the front of house area sorted and it was just probably a little bit dated,” Rob says. “There was a lot of demand in this space, it’s a popular venue and a well-known venue and we just thought ‘yeah, the time was probably right to have a real go’. It had had a lot of band aids over the last 35 years, it still had the furniture from the time when they last renovated. We felt it was the right time to modernise it and make use of the outdoor space that was there.” Shippies now boasts a contemporary dining room which includes an alfresco area, but the front bar has remained untouched, much to the delight of the regulars. “There’s been a lot of shock, but on the whole pretty good feedback,” Rob says. “We’re still working on a few things internally but so far so good. The bar is the
Shippies, co-owned by hospitality giant Paul Jubb
PICTURED: SHIPPIES
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