Highgrove Bathrooms to open store in Rockhampton’s former Post Office Hotel building

The former Post Office Hotel closed more than five years ago and the property has been vacant since. Now it’s about to get a whole new lease on life.

From beers to bathtubs, the old Post Office Hotel on North Rockhampton’s Musgrave Street has a new tenant.

Australian family-owned company, Highgrove Bathrooms, is opening a store in the Beef Capital, marking their 50th location across the country.

The hotel doors closed suddenly in 2014 and it was reported at the time, the lesses owed the owner months of unpaid rent.

The property sold soon after to Rockhampton builder Noel Handley for $1.15 million, and he did some serious renovations, raised the roof, added a second floor, installed a lift and expanded the whole footprint.

Highgrove Bathrooms purchased the property this year for $2.64 million.

Director of the Rockhampton store Simon Moore moved to the Beef Capital from Cairns a couple of months ago to prepare to open it.

With the closest stores in Hervey Bay and Townsville, Rockhampton was the perfect spot in the middle.

“We have been wanting to open something in Central Queensland for a few years because there has been that empty gap in the market,” Mr Moore said.

“The opportunity came up with this building here.”

The store will stock mostly bathroom products, from vanities, tapware, stone benchtops, mirrors and bathtubs, some laundry and a small range of kitchen products.

Inside is a complete construction zone with tradies hard at work doing the fit out now.

If all goes to plan, the store is scheduled to be ready to open to the public in February.

As commuters have been driving past and seeing movement inside, there has been a buzz about what is going on.

“People have been slowly start to find out what’s happening, what’s opening up, I’ve been networking and speaking to a few people, a lot of people have said it’s good, you need a different sort of player in town,” Mr Moore said.

“They are excited for someone else to be coming in.

“Some people from Rockhampton already use us from down south.”

What sets Highgrove apart from its competitors is that most of its products are all in stock, along with knowledgeable and helpful staff.

“That’s a big tick and win for us,” Mr Moore said.

“You don't have to wait weeks and weeks for our products.

“We manufacture everything ourselves, no-one else stocks our brand, so that’s where it is a lot easier, we can control it.”

The store, which has a 46-space car park out the back, is targeted at all demographics and price range.

“It’s a wide range of people we do supply to,” Mr Moore said.

“It’s your Mum and Pa sort of focus but there are a lot of tradies that are coming through, young couples that are renovating their first house.

“Anyone from people in their 20s to anyone in their 80s or 90s.

“They might just be wanting a tap or they are doing their whole bathroom.

“We do have builders that buy through us as well, they are doing their spec homes, or more of a luxury home.

“We provide everything from high-end wooden cabinetry up to entry level range.”

HIGHGROVE BATHROOMS

Australian owned family business

Bathroom, laundry and kitchen products

New store to open in Rockhampton in February 2022

Located in the old Post Office Hotel building, 161 Musgrave Street, North Rockhampton