It’s 1853, and down a dusty road half way between Australia’s two largest cities, a warmly-lit pub is bustling with weary travellers. As they gather around the open fire with pints of ale and overflowing plates of hearty, local fare, a highwayman sneaks into the stables, hops on a horse who’s resting her legs, and gallops off into the night. Ben Hall, the highwayman in question, is something of a folklaw antihero in the Jugiong township: a fearless cowboy whose tactic of borrowing horses to help him commit local crimes, then returning them in time for breakfast, was more annoying than nefarious*.
“People had to stay another night because their horses were too tired to get back on the road,” Mark Orr, General Manager of The Sir George tells us, as we gather on the lawn for a game of Bocce and an Aperol Spritz. As far as I can tell, no terrible fate.
Though many things about The Sir George have changed in the 150 plus years that have passed since Ben Hall’s journey-hampering reign, a lot has stayed the same. Just one minute’s drive off the Hume Highway, the pub is still a popular pit stop on the Syd-Melb commute, the meals served still celebrate local produce, and the heritage shell holds all the secrets of the building’s storied past. Excluding a brief period of disrepair in the late 1990s, the historic hotel has remained a reliable watering hole for generations, and thanks to a spectacular renovation by a powerhouse mother and daughter team, it’s now one of Australia’s stand-out boutique hotels.
Why stay at The Sir George
Just under four hour’s drive from Sydney’s CBD, and six hour’s drive from the centre of Melbourne, The Sir George is, geographically speaking, the perfect place to rest your head on the long journey between the two cities. But even if Jugiong, the quaint, storybook village that The Sir George calls home, was located in the a*** end of nowhere, it would still be very much worth a visit.
First up, there’s the kitchen: a finely tuned operation pumping out solid pub staples (golden schnittys, stacked beef burgers and gloriously loaded bowls of fluffy hot chips) alongside a more refined seasonal menu of gourmet plates.
As dining spaces go, the offering at The Sir George is pretty unparalleled: the sprawling gardens are a stunning feat of landscaping mastery (the team describe their outdoor space as “the best beer garden in Australia,” and we’re not here to argue), and the 19th century dining rooms create a uniquely intimate setting for a winter lunch or dinner, lined with vintage books and antique furniture.
Then there are the bedrooms themselves: three converted stone-walled stables and eight architecturally striking modernist structures, an ode to the original wooden outhouses that used to line the building.
And finally, there’s the sense of history. In a country where modern architecture dominates, it’s a special experience to spend time in a building with such a story – whose walls hold the smokey scent of 170 years of woodsmoke.
What are the rooms like at The Sir George?
Hiding behind a ballerina-like row of silver birches surrounding the delicately manicured lawn, the bedrooms sit slightly removed from the bustle of the main building. The stone stables (the very stables that used to house Ben Hall’s equine accomplices) and wooden barns each feature stupendously comfortable king sized beds and a pared back, minimalist aesthetic that combines heritage features with clean, modern design elements. European oak floorboards are softened with Hale Mercantile Linens, and vintage lamps pour warm light through the wooden shutters. Breakfast isn’t provided in the restaurant, but in the minibar you’ll find all of the ingredients for an easy wholesome breakfast – house-made sourdough and granola, farm-fresh berries, thick Greek yoghurt and condiments made at the next-door deli – plus local wines, beers, cheeses, chocolate and more.
Eating and drinking at The Sir George
“It’s all about the joy of sharing food,” Anthony Davis, The Sir George’s Executive Chef explains. The same principle inspires everything on the menu: from the old-school pub favourites to the more delicate seasonal dishes. When we visited, the steak was cooked to perfection, the wines were expertly pared, and every element – from the beans crowned with roasted nuts and a halo of butter to the delicately piped dessert – was elevated for maximum flavour.
What to do at (and around) The Sir George
Within the grounds, you’ll find a charming plant and garden store (The Potting Shed) hidden between the vines, and a gorgeous design store (Curators Collective, located on the top floor of the main pub) stocked with a perfectly location-appropriate selection of heritage-style homewares and clothes. Next door, The Long Track Pantry is the ultimate foodie haven: selling a wildly extensive range of house-made delights (everything from frozen spinach pie to a dangerously addictive crispy chilli oil) alongside twenty plus other artisan brands. All Long Track Pantry branded products are made at "The Jam Factory" just steps away from the café and deli, and next door, you'll find a beauty parlour offering massages, facials and infrared sauna sessions for weary travellers in need of some R&R.
Need to get moving? The community swimming pool is open from 2pm until 5pm on weekdays and 2pm until 7pm on weekends, the tennis courts across the road are open for public use, and the banks of the Murrumbidgee River are just a short walk from the pub if you’re in the mood for a stroll.
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On my final day at The Sir George, I bump into some friends from Sydney in the deli next door. They’re travelling back from Melbourne, and have been told to stop in at Jugiong on the way back. With an estimated 8,000 people travelling through Jugiong every day, this tiny town is a bizarrely buzzing place – described by General Manager Mark Orr as “in the middle of nowhere, but in the middle of everywhere,”.
And thanks to the vision of Liz Prater and her daughter Kate Hufton, The Sir George is so much more than a convenient resting stop. Swing by for a wagyu beef burger and a glass of locally-made wine and you could easily find yourself booking in for the night – even without a highway man stealing your horse.
The key details:
You’ll find The Sir George at 320 Riverside Drive, Jugiong, NSW, 2726.
Rooms start at $315 per night for two people, inclusive of breakfast. You can learn more and book over here.
*While it’s the most relevant to this story, the horse borrowing wasn’t the extent of Ben Hall’s crimes. In 1864, he reportedly led an ambush on the Gundagai mail coach, which resulted in the death of the Jugiong police sergeant, Edmund Parry.
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