WHEN Peter and Patsy Price purchased the iconic Silverton Hotel in 2010, they planned to spend 10 years fixing it up and running it, before retiring to the church they’re renovating up the road in Silverton Heights.
Fourteen years later they’re still serving beers behind the bar as they wait to find the right buyer for the famous pub.
Though they’ve had some interest, they said they’re unwilling to sell to someone who will change the atmosphere by installing pokie machines.
“We all do things differently and the new owners will probably do it differently too, but we just feel it’d be nice not to have a massive change,” Mr Price said.
“We don’t want someone who will put pokies in, but someone who will keep the charm that we’ve developed here.”
The Silverton Hotel has been the star of countless films and ads such as Wake in Fright, Mad Max II, Razorback and more, and Mr Price said the pub remains reliant on the tourism and film industry to encourage visitors to Silverton.
“The film industry has helped us a lot with so many things being filmed out here,” he said.
Mr Price said retaining the rustic charm of the pub made famous by these films was key to keeping tourists returning.
“People come back once they’ve been here,” he said. “All these tourists, sometimes people who came here fifty or sixty years ago.”
Ms Price grew up in Silverton, while Mr Price first visited the town 57 years ago, though they bought the pub on a whim.
“I had this dream one night that I bought the pub,” Mr Price said.
“In the morning I got up and told the former owner Ines McLeod about the dream, and she said ‘Well bloody hell, why don’t you!’ So we did.”
The Prices had their work cut out for them as they had many plans to reinvigorate the hotel.
“We saw a lot of potential in upgrading it because when we bought it, it was tired” Mr Price said.
“We were able to keep the old style going, and we both felt that was very important in a place like Silverton because it’s a step back in time here.”
Though they were set on preserving the original charm of the hotel, they’ve made a lot of changes to allow more seating in the outdoor areas, and introduced a kitchen.
“They didn’t have a kitchen at all, they just cooked pies and pasties around the bar,” Ms Price said.
“So, we cut a hole in the wall and built a kitchen.”
On the menu are classic, nostalgic offerings like rissoles and bangers and mash.
The Prices hope any new owner will be someone younger who is excited by hospitality and has some social media experience.
“A young person has probably got all the drive enthusiasm at that age,” Mr Price, who is celebrating his 78th birthday this week, said.
“And social media is a fabulous way to get it out. We could increase the turnover by probably a million a year easily with more marketing.”
As for their plans when they find the right buyer and sell the pub, Ms Price said: “I’d love to just get out there and light a campfire again”.
Along with camping, visiting their family in Adelaide and fixing up their church to live in, Mr Price said he enjoys making things from timber and steel in his workshop and added Ms Price is handy with a paintbrush.
“The front of the church has a little gallery where she can paint,” he said.
Running the hotel has kept the couple busy and Ms Price said she hasn’t had a chance to paint since they bought the church in 2007.
“I probably won’t remember how to use a brush!” she said.
