Local farmers buy the Woodanilling Tavern, ex-owner Stephen Jefferies no longer the ‘most hated man in town’

The saga of the Woodanilling Tavern has reached a conclusion with the purchase of the building by a group of six local farmers last month. The deal has lifted a huge weight from the shoulders of its former landlord Stephen Jefferies, who found it impossible to run as a going concern. He initially put it on the market as a pub but wanted to increase the chances of a sale by converting it from a commercial to a residential property. Mr Jefferies’ application for a change of use split the town. The Shire of Woodanilling eventually turned down the application and Mr Jefferies was set to appeal, but the farmers stepped in to buy the property, with settlement taking place on November 14. Mr Jefferies said he feels he might now no longer be “the most hated man in town”. “I probably was at one stage, but I am sure that’s changing,” he said. “The outcome is fantastic for the whole community and good for us. “We are now enjoying life, free of debt.” Mr Jefferies is now manager of a supermarket in Wagin and said he would be sure to pop into the tavern for a drink. “My hope was always that it would sell as a pub and I am sure the farmers will get it back to that,” he said. New co-owner Sally Vermeulen, who became a councillor and Shire of Woodanilling deputy president after local elections in October, said the group would be deciding on whether to form an official co-op after meeting with accountants next week. “It’s a steep learning curve around the consequences of having bought such a building,” she said. “There are options other than having a co-op and it will be interesting to see what everyone has to say. “The general advice we have been getting is that we need to have a consensus around what we want to do and how we are going to do it.” She said the families involved are all farmers with a multi-generational history in the town and added that her standing for council had nothing to do with the saga around the pub. “They are not related; I stood for the shire because I had been sitting on the sidelines and felt it was time to get involved.” Ms Vermeulen said there was a lot to do to get the tavern compliant in terms of building regulations and while the target for reopening was Christmas 2026, that might prove ambitious. “It’s hard to get trades so the finishing date is probably in the lap of the gods,” she said. “It is exciting and it’s also daunting, but we are looking forward to the town getting its pub back.”