Historic hotel that shaped the future of an Australian city hits the market

The Cornwall Historic Hotel in Launceston has a rich and storied legacy.

Built in 1824 by John Pascoe Fawkner, the site is well-known as being integral in the birthplace of one of Australia's largest cities.

It was at the hotel it is understood that Fawkner met with John Batman to hatch a plan to found the city of Melbourne.

In 1981, the site was renamed to the Batman Fawkner Inn and would regularly host national musical acts such as Paul Kelly, Midnight Oil and Hunters and Collectors.

It took on its current name, the Cornwall Historic Hotel, after a redevelopment in 2019.

The 41-room hotel was last sold in March 2023 to Sydney-based investors, and included a leasehold.

At the time, the real estate agent for the property, Knight Frank's Charles Black, said the transaction had gone through quickly and the site had garnered a high amount of interest.

Current listing agent Elder's Cale Ayres said it wouldn't be any different this time around.

"We've had a really strong interest in kick-starting the campaign," he said.

Mr Ayres said the hotel's history and the establishment of the upcoming Tasmanian Devils AFL team, expected to play four games a year in Launceston, have proven to be a drawcard for hotels.

"I think there's a fair bit of interest in the fact that there's a football team coming to Tasmania," he said.

"You only have to see when Hawthorn are playing here, the influx of people on those weekends.

"It's something people see as an upside play for the location."

Included in the purchase is the hotel itself and two leasing options.

One of those is occupied by the Maple Café, which has held the tenancy since 2022.

The other tenancy was previously held by Hillsong, which left the location in October 2023.

That space is located at the rear of the building and is around 646 square metres in size.

Expressions of interest for the property are now open and will close on September 23.

Mr Ayres couldn't reveal how much the offers started at, however, according to Cotality, the property last sold for $4.3 million.

Before that, the building had been owned by a local investor for a decade.