| Hope and Anchor Tavern | |
| Former Names: | Hope and Anchor Hotel |
| Location: | Hobart, Tasmania, Australia |
| Owner: | John Kelly (2023) |
| Completion Date: | 1807 |
The Hope and Anchor Tavern[1] (formerly Hope and Anchor Hotel, the Alexandra, the Whale Fishery and the Hope)[2] is an Australian pub in Hobart, Tasmania. Built in 1807, it is the oldest continually licensed pub in Australia.[3] [4] However, The Bush Inn in New Norfolk claims to be the oldest operating Australian pub, because their venue has operated continuously since it opened in 1815 whereas the Hope and Anchor Tavern has had periods of closure (whilst still holding their licence) since opening in 1807.[5] The Hope and Anchor Tavern is referred to in Captain A E Sykes: memoirs.[6]
The building has been listed on the Tasmanian Heritage Register since 1998.[7] The Hope and Anchor Tavern was owned for many years by Gunter Jaeger, who collected the antiques and artefacts that adorn the walls of the pub. The current owner is local businessman John Kelly, who purchased the building in 2022 and became the licensee on 1 February 2023. Kelly is well known in Hobart for heritage restoration projects, including the Soundy's Building (1883) and the State Cinema (1913). He plans to conduct an archaeological dig of the adjoining vacant land, before undertaking a sensitive restoration of Australia’s oldest pub.