Golden opportunity: Historic former pub turned Christmas shop for sale in gold rush town

An iconic gold rush-era landmark considered one of Central Victoria’s oldest hotel buildings has hit the market with a price tag of $2 million.

Dating back to 1854, the heritage listed Royal Hotel at 14 High Street in Maldon was among Victoria’s earliest licensed pubs and long served as a vital social and cultural hub for the goldfield’s community.

Rich in period character, the beautifully preserved building showcases original colonial features maintained meticulously by its long-term owners.

It’s one of the oldest hotel buildings in Central Victoria. Picture: realcommercial.com.au

At its heart is a spectacular theatre room with a soaring vaulted ceiling and stage, which over its lifetime has been used as a cinema, dance hall, and meeting place for the Masonic movement and church groups.

Today, the theatre room houses The Maldon Christmas Shop, an established local business offering a unique collection of European Christmas items.

Located in the historic former gold rush town of Maldon. Picture: realcommercial.com.au

Edward Carthew, director of Carthew Real Estate, is bringing the property to market for the first time in 28 years. He said it offers a rare chance to take over a cherished local institution.

“The building is chock-a-block full of Christian decorations to an extent that you couldn’t believe. But it’s not just like walking into Myer type operation – everything is absolutely unique,” Mr Carthew told realcommercial.com.au.

“And it’s a very good business. The current owner runs the shop for six months of the year. She partners with a photographer who takes Santa Claus photos with kids and that alone brings in about $65,000 annually, on top of the shop’s earnings.”

The great hall is now a Christmas shop. Picture: realcommercial.com.au

He described the property as a “walk-in walk-out” opportunity.

“The owner has been at it for a long time and feels it’s time to move on. She’s happy to stay on for a month or two for a handover and to show buyers where to source stock.”

Mr Carthew also highlighted the strong potential to return the venue to its original life as a pub.

With multiple rooms and an expansive beer garden, the property already holds a fully operational liquor licence for up to 200 patrons, expandable to 400 with the installation of two additional toilets.

“One of the rooms was a ladies’ lounge and there’s also a dining room and a cellar that could easily become a jazz room. Then outside is a beautiful beer garden. I’d say within three weeks or so, you could have it up and running as a hotel,” Mr Carthew said.

“It would be perfect for weddings, private parties and all kinds of functions. And the building is as structurally sound as it was when it was built back in 1854.”

With an expansive beer garden and an operational liquor licence for up to 200 patrons, there’s strong potential to return the venue to a pub. Picture: realcommercial.com.au

Just outside town, colonial-era attraction Porcupine Village is poised to become a major tourism drawcard for Maldon once again. A bustling family attraction in the 1990s, the village is undergoing a $5 million upgrade, bringing its period streetscapes, costumed characters and goldfields experiences back to life.

Mr Carthew said the attraction’s revival is expected to boost visitor numbers and further elevate Maldon’s appeal as a tourism destination.

“They’ve got a motel, a caravan park, and 27 cabins under construction at the moment. It’s going to be a real drawcard for the area.”

Maldon itself continues to be a popular tree-change option thanks to its accessibility from Melbourne.

The Christmas shop brings in $65K in revenue annually from Santa Photos alone. Picture: realcommercial.com.au

Just outside town, colonial-era tourist attraction Porcupine Village is undergoing a major restoration. Picture: realcommercial.com.au

“I’d say about 80% of the business we do is selling houses to people from metropolitan areas. There are 24 trains a day from Melbourne to Castlemaine, which is only 13 minutes away, and Bendigo is just half an hour up the road,” said Mr Carthew.

“It’s very accessible and really is a gem of a town.”