A NEW era is set to begin for Penola’s iconic Heyward’s Royal Oak Hotel with a prominent Coonawarra name taking over ownership of the site.
The Heyward family recently put the significant property on the market after a lifelong association with the extensive hotel, which includes accommodation, a gaming area and bottleshop.
Penola’s John Rymill has taken the opportunity to acquire the business after his family’s long association with the region.
The historic hotel has been owned and operated by the Heyward family for almost 80 years and was first licensed in 1848, with the main building completed in 1873.
It boasts Victorian architecture inside and out, complete with impressive stonework, arches, wide cornices, ornate fireplaces and balcony latticework.
The business features a public bar with adjoining saloon bar, a lounge bar, 16 gaming machines, a dining room, beer garden and nine guest bedrooms.
Mr Rymill, former owner of Rymill Coonawarra, said he was excited to take over the hotel and was confident in his abilities after being involved in the wine industry for eight years.
“The Heyward family owned it for a long time and I was lucky enough to witness the great hospitality in Penola and I look forward to continuing its legacy and to continue to learn along the way,” he said.
Owners John and Libby Heyward have operated the hotel together since 1988, with Mr Heyward taking over the running of the hotel in 1966.
The Heywards decided to sell and retire after a lifelong association with the hotel and the hospitality industry.
Mr Rymill said the transfer process was continuing, including licensing matters, however it was imperative staff knew about the purchase of the business.
“I am very optimistic that it will all go through smoothly,” he said.
The establishment will now be referred to as the Royal Oak Hotel.
The Rymill family has a rich history in Coonawarra, dating to Scottish-born John Riddoch, who braved the harsh climate and trekked hundreds of kilometres, subsequently founding Coonawarra in 1890.
John Riddoch’s daughter, Mary, grew up at Yallum and married Robert Rymill, the neighbouring Penola farmer.
Her son, John Riddoch Rymill, a distinguished polar explorer, led the 1934-37 British Graham Land Expedition to the Antarctic.
Rymill Coonawarra was founded in the early ’70s by Peter Riddoch Rymill, the elder son of John and Eleanor Rymill.
A keen equestrian like his father, he competed in California and Ireland, retiring after he won the Australian Show Jumping Championship in 1965.
Peter married international Three Day Eventer and Show Jumper Judith Ritchie in 1964 and horses continued to play an integral role in their competitive and farming lives.
Peter and Judy diversified into viticulture in 1968 with an experimental vineyard, and six years later the family enterprise returned to Coonawarra when planting began on the Rymill Coonawarra Vineyards.
While Judy managed the family farm, Peter completed a degree in Wine Science and a diploma in Wine Marketing before he began building the winery in 1990.
Their son is now set to continue the family’s involvement in the region through ownership of the hotel.
