Seaside pub that starred in TV series falls into voluntary administration

A Victorian hotel that was previously featured in popular television series SeaChange has been placed in voluntary administration.

Located in the small town of St Leonards on Victoria’s Bellarine Peninsula, St Leonards Hotel offers accommodation as well as a restaurant, cafe and drive-through bottle shop.

The pub featured in the popular ABC drama series SeaChange, in which it was named the Tropical Star Hotel.

SeaChange aired between 1998 and 2000 and stared David Wenham and Sigrid Thornton.

The business entered voluntary administration on November 4, with Simon Nelson and Anthony Cant of Romanis Cant appointed to manage the administration process.

In a statement provided to SmartCompany, Simon Nelson and Anthony Cant said the voluntary administration will give St Leonards Hotel the opportunity to “restructure the business to avoid future trading losses”.

The venue, which has been up for sale for several months, is continuing to trade “as normal”, the administrators said.

However, Nelson and Cant said it has been “difficult to identify the causes of failure at this point”.

“We will be working closely with management and the directors to identify some of the causes of the financial issues,” they said.

“Importantly, the administrators have garnered the support of key stakeholders to maintain the venue and business operations during the administration period.”

“The administrators are confident that sale of the business or a deed of company arrangement would be proposed by the directors that would be commercially beneficial to all stakeholders.”

The first meeting of the company’s creditors is scheduled to be held in Melbourne on November 16.

St Leonards Hotel was purchased by the current owners in 2012 at a price tag of around $3.5 million, according to the Geelong Advertiser.

In September, estate agent Colliers International said it predicted the sale this time around could fetch around $4.5 million given interest from a number of parties.

*This article was updated at 4.16pm on November 6 to include a statement from Romanis Cant.