The old Stanhope Hotel was what real estate agents would describe as a “fixer-upper”.
There were purple walls, a lack of proper light fixtures and an odd handmade light bulb chandelier hanging from the roof in one of the backpacker bedrooms.
Fiona Hayward could talk for hours about the property she acquired in June.
Today, past patrons of the hotel would be dumbfounded with the changes made to the interior.
These include an entirely new modern front dining area, original wooden bar tops accompanied by contemporary neutral colour pallet, and a brand-new name: The Wallenjoe.
The Wallenjoe’s name derives from the Wallenjoe Swamp, a watering hole in Corop and an area that a Stanhope hunting group used to frequent.
Fiona hopes, like a watering hole, the restaurant can be a meeting place to share a meal or have a drink, and she has big plans on how she will transform it into a place to do so.
Fiona is a Stanhope woman and an aficionado in the kitchen, and is determined to bring the Stanhope Hotel back to its best.
The hotel is opposite the Stanhope Football Netball Club on the Midland Hwy, a location most would think would be perfect for drinks after an exhilarating sporting win or for travellers making their way between Bendigo and Shepparton.
Fiona envisions creating a welcoming space where both locals and visitors can forge lasting memories, from triumphant celebrations to comforting moments, through a drink or a delicious meal.
“Every community needs somewhere they can go as a family or group and feel safe,” Fiona said.
“If our own community won’t get behind this place, why would families stop here on a road trip?”
Fiona’s renovation journey is bolstered by her husband Wayne’s enthusiastic support and the invaluable business guidance of her friend and confidante, Pauline Baldwin.
“We know we can understand each other. When she starts talking about a million miles an hour I know she’s stressed about something, and if I’m dead quiet she knows I’m stressed about something,” Fiona said.
“We’ve both got the same work ethic, and we can both see what needs to be done and are equally motivated to making sure it gets done,” Pauline said.
Fiona said she wanted to take on this project because she had always wanted to own and run her own restaurant.
She owned a café in Kyabram before starting a catering business and is eager to elevate Stanhope’s culinary landscape, infusing her time-honoured recipes with fresh inspiration to create an exceptional dining experience.
“You need the weather to be beautiful and have some real, fresh food — not deep-fried,” Fiona said.
“(I want to) have real barramundi, like the barramundi that’s wild caught, not farmed with pallets, and I would love a good steak — steak with marrow.”
She also believes that a community should have a place to convene, a place for local kids to celebrate birthdays, for the footy club to hold functions locally, or simply for a family to share a Friday night meal.
She already has some community backing, with locals popping their heads in to check on the renovations, local community groups booking Christmas functions at the venue and local tradesman offering their services to get the job done.
While there is still work to be done, Fiona was confident that the front restaurant, bar and bottle ship would be ready for a late-November opening, ahead of Christmas parties.
“Most of what needs to be done now is just cosmetic, like getting rid of the blue and purple paint — so that’s going to be done, and soon after that hopefully we can open up,” she said.
“It’s really lovely to have the support from people already — that’s what spurs you on, that people have faith in you.”
She hopes through her experiences as a chef, she can create an unforgettable menu and help to realise the town’s tourism potential.
“If you can make them a memorable meal — you can make them remember Stanhope.”