It's been eight months in the making and came in at a cost of around $150,000, but the Royal Hotel Pub & Kitchen at Murrurundi now has what hotelier Jules Cross thinks, could be the only fully restored Cobb & Co station function room of its kind.
While operational, Cobb & Co, founded in 1853 by a small group of immigrant Americans, transported passengers, gold and mail initially across Victoria and then into NSW and beyond.
Royal Hotel Pub & Kitchen, which dates back to 1863, houses an official Cobb & Co station at the rear of the property.
But despite its historical significance, when Jules and his wife Kylie took over the hotel two years ago, they found the building in an extremely dilapidated state.
"The first thing we had to do was pull it back together, but it all had to be done according to the heritage impact statement we commissioned," Jules said.
"This is an original Cobb & Co Station and has a great deal of historical significance, so we had to be very careful to restore it in keeping with its heritage listing.
"Back when it was a functioning station, the horses would be kept in here overnight before they moved on to the next station which was usually located about a day's travel away."
"This is an original Cobb & Co Station and has a great deal of historical significance, so we had to be very careful to restore it in keeping with its heritage listing..."
The restoration included re-pointing the original sandstone, re-lining the roof that was once used to store hay, building the bar, and showcasing an original stable fixture - now a private dining suite - to highlight the buildings once primary function.
The restoration included re-pointing the original sandstone, re-lining the roof that was once used to store hay, building the bar, and showcasing an original stable fixture - now a private dining suite - to highlight the buildings once primary function...
Completed only nine days ago, the function centre has already housed four events including a $5,000 Quick Shear and meetings associated with the annual King of the Ranges festival.
All timber used in the project has been recycled with much of it coming from the former stable fixtures.
Able to host 120 people, the function centre utilises the hotel's kitchen for catering and will soon have its own beer taps installed to offer beverages from the bottle, can or on tap.
"This is part of an overall restoration of the entire premises," Jules said.
"We still have landscaping to go and installation of an outdoor pizza oven. Then we will get to work on the pub itself. I think we probably have about two years work ahead of us before the entire project is complete."