A well-known Ballarat watering hole will reopen after a new liquor licence application and development permit appeared on an Albert Street hotel.
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Sebastopol's Royal Mail Hotel closed in 2018 to the dismay of locals and regulars, following the failure of management to pay creditors.
Now John Rattley and Nancy Lane, as Goat and Compass Pty Ltd, have applied for new licence for the 152-year-old hotel, known as the 'last pub in Sebastopol' because of its location at the end of Albert Street.
It could be known as the actual last pub. There are few hotels left in Sebastopol with closure of the Atlantic and the demolition of the Globe in recent years leaving only the Exchange open.
I don't want to exaggerate but we've had so many people say: 'We're so pleased and happy and rapt that you're going to reopen the hotel; it should never have closed; it was a successful business for 150 years; it was the hub of the community.
- John Rattley
Rattley and Lane hope to open the Royal Mail in March.
John Rattley is familiar to Ballaratians as a musician and music teacher, having played in Ballarat's Salty Dog and taught percussion in schools through his Planet Rhythm program for almost 20 years. He was on the board of the Smythesdale Football Netball Club, and has a past in managing venues, including the Grand Hotel Portarlington.
He says his love of music and good food was a major impetus in deciding to take up the opportunity of reopening the Royal Mail.
"There were a lot of reasons to be honest," Rattley says.
Rattley says while he and his partner are going to put their stamp on the hotel with their love of music and good food, he doesn't want people to fear the hotel is going too far 'upmarket'.
"We've already got a chef organised: so it's music; it's food-based and it's keeping the traditional old pub. If you have a look around Ballarat, a lot of those have gone by the wayside. For me, to walk into an old-fashioned hotel, the old-fashioned bars and those sort of things, there's a real nice ambiance from the minute you walk in."
Rattley says he misses the thrill of playing music himself, and feeling a little too old to go back touring, he thought of ways to get back into his love of gigging.
"'And the only way I'm going to do this', I thought to myself, 'is buy a bloody hotel.'
"The fact is, it's a wonderful opportunity for many reasons. There's a bit of activity here now and when people see us, they come over; they pull up in their car.
"I don't want to exaggerate but we've had so many people say: 'We're so pleased and happy and rapt that you're going to reopen the hotel; it should never have closed; it was a successful business for 150 years; it was the hub of the community.'
Rattley and Lane applied to reopen the hotel from 7am to 1am weekdays, with Sunday trading 10am to 11pm and restricted hours on Good Friday and Anzac Day.
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