After a protracted battle that took place over a period of five years, the people behind the much loved Henson Park Hotel, which is situated in Sydney in Australia, have finally been given the right to close the hotel and reopen in an entirely different location.
The historic Marrickville pub, which is owned by Yattawich P/L and is operated by Waugh Hotel Consultancy, has been struggling to adapt to changing times. Situated on the fringe on what was once the industrial part of the area, it now no longer brings in the schooner-pumping factory workers, who used to congregate there several times a day, or even the rough-and-tumble footballers from the Newtown Jets, with the club being a long-time affiliate.
Management is sad about the relocation, but a spokesperson says that it is simply an unfortunate necessity of the time. “We appreciate the sentiment of the local community that they have lost a watering hole,” a spokesperson says. “However, the industry has evolved and the business model of the Henson Park Hotel was unsustainable. It was a successful ‘boozer’ in yesteryear, but that trade doesn’t exist anymore. We don’t want to rub it in the faces of the locals, but their patronage and support were not enough to sustain the business in its current location.”
The original application, which was made six years ago back in 2007, was denied by Marrickville Council, and it was denied again three years ago in 2010, but now the move of the license from Henson Park to a new venue on Illawarra Road in Marrickville has been approved.
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