Pub that was patronised by Ned Kelly after he saved the owners’ son is given a much-needed revamp 

A couple have bought a piece of history after purchasing a 19th century hotel linked to Ned Kelly for just over $400,000.  

The lucky couple are slowly renovating the four-bedroom house on 26 Henry St in Avenel in central Victoria. 

The house dates back to the 1850s when it was a general store before becoming the popular Royal Mail Hotel from 1857-1903.   

Ned Kelly was a child when he rescued the seven-year-old son of hotel owners Esau and Margaret Shelton from the flooded waters of nearby Hughes Creek in the 1860s. 

The outlaw was rewarded for his efforts with the green silk sash – which he later wore in his final showdown with police at Glenrowan in 1880. 

Ned Kelly (pictured) was a child when he rescued the seven-year-old son of hotel owners Esau and Margaret Shelton from the flooded waters of nearby Hughes Creek in the 1860s

The previous owner was history buff Margaret Lindsay-Field who had begun returning the property to its former glory.   

Friend Dean Gardiner said the home was ‘pretty unliveable’ when Ms Lindsay-Field purchased it eight years ago. 

‘I could fit my head through some of the holes in the walls,’ he told Realestate.com.au.    

Selling agent Bonnie Gaehl said the buyers plan to ‘restore the property over time’. 

The property was sold privately well below the initial $580,000 asking price in the mid-$400,000 range. 

The stunning property has 12 rooms including four bedrooms (one pictured) and four living areas but only one bathroom

There are fireplaces in all living and dining areas (pictured)

The spacious kitchen (pictured)  is fitted with wood fires, a gas stove and a kitchen island

It has 12 rooms including four bedrooms and four living areas but only one bathroom.

The 2,000-square-metre property has an underground cellar and is surrounded by established trees. 

There are fireplaces in all living and dining areas while the kitchen is fitted with wood fires and a gas stove.  

Heritage features such as stencilling on the hallway ceiling and front and side verandas with original sandstone pavers are a reminder of the house’s history.  

There are four living areas (pictured) in the former Royal Mail Hotel, a pit stop for coaches delivering letters and passengers between Melbourne and Sydney 

There is only one bathroom in the 12 room home. It has wooden detailing which give it a vintage feel 

The house dates back to the 1850s when it was a general store before becoming the popular Royal Mail Hotel (pictured) from 1857-1903

The life and crimes of Ned Kelly

Illustration of Ned Kelly in his iconic armour

• Born: December 1854, Beveridge, Victoria
• Died: November 11, 1880 (aged 25), Melbourne, Victoria
• Kelly stole livestock after the Wild Wright fight
• Kelly and three others became outlaws after they shot three police officers
• The Kelly gang continued to rob and escaped the police for two years
• He was the sole survivor of a police shootout in Glenrowan where he wore his famous armour
• His last words were ‘such is life’ before he was hanged at Old Melbourne Gaol

The house was nicknamed ‘The Coach House’ for being a pit stop for Cobb & Co coaches carrying mail and passengers from Melbourne to Beechworth and Sydney during its Royal Mail Hotel years. 

A boarding house, residence, and bed and breakfast are the some of the roles it has played in more recent years.  

The sale of the old hotel comes shortly after another historic property with ties to Ned Kelly hit the market in February. 

Kelly fought a member of his own gang in a 20-round bare-knuckle boxing bout at the Imperial Hotel in Beechworth, near the border of New South Wales and Victoria, in 1874.    

He won against Kelly Gang member Isaiah ‘Wild’ Wright who became a loyal follower after the fight. 

Three homes with period features and spas now stand on the site of the hotel and are on the market for a total of $1.1 million.  

Kelly and Wright Luxury Accommodation stands on the site of the original hotel and attracts history buffs eager to immerse themselves in the history of Australia’s most famous outlaw.

The owner John Furlong bought the property in 2006 but didn’t discover its Ned Kelly history until three years later.

‘I was over the moon that there was some real history behind the property,’ he said. 

He verified it was the old site of the Imperial Hotel with the help of Ned Kelly expert Ian Jones and a picture from Beechworth museum.

A statue of Ned Kelly outside Kelly and Wright Luxury Accommodation – another property on the market linked to the infamous outlaw