Find out how you could own one of Victoria’s most iconic pubs

The iconic pub at the heart of the gripping probe into the murders of missing campers Russell Hill and Carol Clay has hit the market.

The Dargo Hotel is on the market.

One of the most iconic hotels in regional Victoria is up for sale.

The Dargo Hotel, along with the neighbouring motel, has hit the market, offering the lucky buyer a savvy business opportunity.

Owning the Dargo Hotel and the Dargo Motor Inn would be a “dream come true” for any publican.

The Dargo Hotel was established in 1898 and became the centre of one of the nation’s most high profile murder investigations last year when campers Russell Hill and Carol Clay went missing.

The town was the unlikely staging ground for police and forensic experts involved in the hunt for the pair’s remains, forcing a flock of people to the iconic pub.

Missing campers Carol Clay and Russell Hill.

Publicans Steve and Helen Hall said customers always ask about the investigation when they visit.

“This story will be talked about for decades,” Mrs Hall said.

“Everyone always asks us about it now when they come in — tourists will ask at the bar about it all, wanting all the insider perspective.

“It was overwhelming to be at the centre of a national murder investigation because usually people come to us for happy times, nothing sombre like this.

“We are just glad in the end, police found what they came here to look for and the families can have some closure.”

The human remains of Mr Hill and Ms Clay were found in Dargo in November last year.

Steven Hall runs the iconic Dargo pub, and doesn’t mind a cold ale himself. Picture: Jason Edwards

Police searching for evidence in the Dargo area as part of the missing campers murder investigation.

The Halls have had two stints at the Dargo Hotel, but now they’re “tired” and ready to move on.

“We’re tired,” Mrs Hall said.

“We came back in 2017 to finish what we had begun back in the 1990s.

“We’ve created a bigger monster and now it’s someone else’s turn.”

The original pub was destroyed by fire two years after it opened and a bigger hotel built on the same site.

It was originally known as the Bridge Hotel before changing its name to the Dargo Hotel in the 1980s.

Dargo Hotel co-owner Helen Hall says it’s ‘someone else’s turn’ to make their mark on the iconic hotel. Picture: Dannika Bonser

“We’re both very passionate about the building, every little bit to ensure it’s functioning and looked after,” Mrs Hall said.

“I’m a fourth-generation local so we’re very passionate about the whole place, community and the feel of the pub.

“We are a destination pub, people don’t just pass through.”

She said it “wasn’t an easy decision” to sell with plans to stick around to help the new owners settle in when they take over some time next year.

The pub features a public bar with a pool table, bistro, outdoor dining area, commercial kitchen and accommodation options including rooms and cabins.

The Dargo Motor Inn is only 120m from the Dargo Hotel

All 11 rooms feature reverse cycle heating and cooling, a television, microwave, kettle and toaster.

The person who takes on the businesses will also get the benefit of a four-bedroom, two-bathroom owner’s residence.

Dargo is about 350km from Melbourne and 100km from some larger Gippsland towns.

It is located in the Shire of Wellington and at the time of the 2016 census, Dargo and the surrounding area had a population of 99, with the median age of residents being 63.

These two businesses go hand-in-hand, allowing the owners to maximise their investment with the established multiple income streamed operation.

Expressions of interest for the businesses close on December 1, 2022.