Steve’s Hotel, Nedlands, converted to luxury apartments with river views

It was built in 1908 as a hotel for rural people visiting the city. It was acquired by Stephen McHenry in 1935 and thereafter became known as “Steve’s Hotel”. Its proximity to the University of Western Australia made it the favoured watering hole for generations of students, many of whom went on to become prominent businesspeople and politicians.

Steve’s son Murray McHenry, now a wine baron and chairman of the West Coast Eagles, grew up in the building, and has a deep affection for it. His mother kept the pub running after his father died in the 1950s. Murray assumed ownership in the 1970s.

In 2006, the pub closed, and McHenry converted it to four luxury apartments. He was determined to honour the history of the Federation building, with everything either restored or copied and replaced. “The central core staircase was intact, the pressed metal ceilings were still there, so the foyer is exactly as it was in 1908,” he says.

It was a big job, but McHenry says he wouldn’t have missed it. “It wouldn’t have been on my bucket list, but in hindsight it is now.” Inside, the apartments were deliberately modern, with open-plan living and lots of light. Apartment four, on the top floor, has three bedrooms and three bathrooms and a deep balcony with views down to the river.

The development finished just as the global financial crisis hit, so McHenry decided to hold on to the four apartments and sell them individually.

McHenry splits his time between Margaret River, home to his vineyard, and Nedlands. “It’s a real entertainer’s residence,” he says. “The verandas are deep enough to hold a cocktail party and we built a second kitchen out there, with a high-end barbecue and teppanyaki grill.” He says the former pub is “king of the site”, with access to the pool and gym as well as those lovely river views.

Address: 4/171 Broadway, Nedlands, Perth, Western Australia, $4.5m+

Agent: Linda Sullivan, Space Realty, Dalkeith.

For Prestige Property inquiries contact Emily Pettafor, emilymay.prestige@gmail.com

Source: The Australian, Emily Pettafor, June 19^th 2015