Russell Crowe looks to buy iconic Sydney pub
According to a report by the Daily Mail today, Aussie acting icon Russell Crowe is set to buy a classic Sydney pub.
The Shakespeare Hotel, in Surry Hills, seems to be the focus of Crowe’s attention, a venue he would frequent while performing at the nearby Belvoir Street Theatre when he was a young actor.
The 59-year-old reportedly met with owner Margaret Hargreaves and her three daughters for nearly two hours. Hargreaves has owned the pub for 45 years, starting with the lease of the hotel on Anzac Day in 1975. She bought it outright in 1978.
It is estimated he has offered over $12 million after asking to see each of the pub's three floors.
The Shakespeare is made up of accommodation, a bistro and private dining rooms, as well as a cellar.
Crowe is alleged to have been overheard by customers making an impassioned plea for the pub, saying he would maintain its 'family attitude'.
The hotel is affectionately known as the ‘Shakey’ and has been in operation since 1879. It serves as a stopping point on the way to the Sydney Cricket Ground and Allianz Stadium.
It is well frequented by fans of the Crowe-owned rugby league club South Sydney as well as AFL team the Sydney Swans.
Famous names to have frequented the pub include Mel Gibson, Geoffrey Rush, Jacki Weaver, Rose Byrne, Brendan Cowell and Bill Hunter. It has hosted everyone from actors and sports stars to gangsters.
The Shakey was made infamous when paranoid schizophrenic Paul Anthony Evers shot and killed five people with a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun across the road.
“I remember tapping the keg on my first day of trade in August 1975,” Hargreaves told Hotel Conservation in July when she put the pub on the market.
“On that day, we took $69 in sales and the rest is history.
“The pub has been very good to our family so the decision to sell has been quite overwhelming, but the time is right for a fresh perspective on the Shakey.”
Crowe attended the venue with two associates and a couple of real estate agents.
Crowe is said to have had his eye on the venue for 10 years, with one patron telling the Daily mail: “He likes the old-style stuff”.
Another said, “I just don't want to see 30 Odd Foot of Grunts here every Thursday night,” referring to Crowe’s rock band.
Locals are hoping he keeps the pub as is.
Jonathan Jackson, 31st August 2023
