When asked what prompted the listing of Hotel Binalong after more than 50 years, owner Julie Paterson didn't beat around the bush.
"Just tiredness," she laughed.
"And I think it could do with some new blood."
Julie and Ian Paterson have owned and operated the regional hotel near Yass since 1993, taking over from Julie's parents who had run the pub since 1970.
But the time has come for new owners to take the helm. Hotel Binalong has been listed for sale with hotel brokers Chris Tinning and Company with a price guide of $2.9 million.
The hotel opened in 1930, according to the stack of history books Julie keeps in the bistro dining room for guests to read.
"It was an elite hotel when it first opened, with hot and cold running water. The train used to stop here, it used to have a porter that would bring the guests down to the hotel," she said.
Julie was just 14 when her parents took over the pub.
"We moved from Harden Murrumburrah ... I did my last couple years in school here," she said.
After a stint in Sydney and a couple of years working in hotels in Yass and Young, Julie and Ian took the reins at the hotel and settled in Binalong.
"[We] raised two children here in the hotel," Julie said.
Today, the 92-year-old establishment welcomes guests into its 12 accommodation rooms, while downstairs patrons can enjoy a drink and a classic pub meal in the formal dining room or the outdoor beer garden.
Located about an hour's drive from Canberra and less than half an hour from Yass, the historic village of Binalong is well known as the home of famous Australian poet Andrew Barton 'Banjo' Paterson.
The Patersons aren't aware of any family ties to the bush poet but Julie joked that perhaps it's something they'll look into once they retire.
The establishment's long history and community ties can be seen in the black and white photos that hang in the dining room and in the football trophies on display in the pool room.
Long-time staff member Bradley Scowcroft said regulars often stop in for overnight stays, while travellers come for the "old school" hotel experience.
"It's a country feel, country vibe, as soon as you walk in," he said.
Julie admitted running a regional hotel is hard work, and said it's "the sort of hotel where you have to run it yourself".
But for the right buyer, she said, there's a lot of potential to create an iconic pub that people go out of their way to visit.
"Especially [for people] out of Canberra travelling just for day trips," she said.
"There's a lot of opportunity, as in weekends. We don't open on a Sunday but it can be built up - it could become [as iconic as] Sir George [hotel in Jugiong]."
The recent sale of The Sir George made headlines after Sydney publican Fraser Short reportedly paid $14 million for the Jugiong establishment.
Nick Tinning of Chris Tinning and Company said buyer inquiries had been strong from both experienced and first-time hoteliers interested in creating the "next destination hotel".
"Most hotels have been modernised, renovated, and they take all the character out, strip the whole lot out of them. This one hasn't," he said.
With classic Tooth and Co brewing pictures on the walls, intricate timber work and tiling, Hotel Binalong is like being in a "time warp", Mr Tinning said.
"When I walk into it, it's like walking into yesteryear. But then I have a look behind the scenes and to my surprise the kitchen has been modernised ... the cellar is all modern," he said.
Regional pubs have been changing hands at an "unprecedented" rate during the pandemic, according to industry figures, who estimated more than 60 regional NSW hotels were sold in 2021.
Mr Tinning said demand for country pubs has "always been there" but it has increased in the last few years.
"I think since the COVID shutdowns a lot of people want to take control of their own lives. They want to be their own boss," he said.
"And that's forcing a lot of people to chase their dream, which has been 'let's go and buy that country pub'."
When the time comes for the Patersons to hand over the keys to the hotel, they'll still have their hands full.
"Everyone's saying to me, 'What are you going to do?'," Mrs Paterson said.
"Besides two grown grandchildren - [aged] 15 and 17 - I have a four-year-old grandchild and I've got another one on the way. Both their parents work, so I'd say I'll be busy being a grandmother."
