When you live in a country town and buy a pub, it’s essential to get it right.

That’s the case for Jerry Dimas, who risked incurring the wrath of Blackwood’s 387 residents – plus countless others on the central Victorian tourist trail – when he took over the Blackwood Hotel.

After pouring its first beer in 1868, the character filled pub has a claim to fame as Victoria’s oldest continuously licensed weatherboard hotel. It was, however, in need of some love, which Dimas and business partner John Scardamaglia gave it in a major renovation last year.
“It was definitely a rundown country hotel that just hadn’t had much attention,” Dimas says. “There was a lot of work… everything needed a freshen up.”

Reopened just before last year’s Australia Day weekend, the pub has become a new hub in a town born from the gold rush but now more economically wedded to tourism.

Surrounded by the sweeping greenery of the Wombat State Forest, the Blackwood Hotel (“a haven in the hills”, as the sign’s sub-head puts it) has become a gathering place for locals and travellers.

“We’re in the middle of the forest, which makes it pretty special,” says Dimas. “Out the front, we’re looking at the forest. Look out the back, you’ve got the forest, so it’s quite unique like that.”

One of the biggest changes was simply opening the doors more often. Previously trading only a few days a week, the hotel now operates seven days.

“The locals have really embraced us,” Dimas says. Monday nights have become a standing date for residents, complete with food and drink specials, while Wednesday steak nights are a midweek drawcard.

On weekends, the tables fill with visitors from Melbourne, Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo, thanks to the hotel sitting conveniently in the middle of them all. “A lot of people use us as the meeting point,” Dimas says.

As the central Victorian cold takes hold, the Blackwood’s focus is shifting to comfort: two open fireplaces in the bar, mulled wine, hot toddies and a menu built around seasonal produce.

Head chef Andrew Papagiannis leads a kitchen influenced by Mediterranean flavours. The menu balances the essentials of a country pub - steaks and parmas - with dishes less common in regional venues, from paella to slow-cooked lamb shoulder that leans into Papagiannis’ Greek heritage served as an open souvlaki.

Local sourcing is key, including Sher wagyu from near Bacchus Marsh. “We still want to be a country hotel,” Dimas explains, “but give people a few options that aren’t the same generic menu.”

Behind the bar, eight taps pour mostly Victorian beers, alongside a wine list that mixes local drops with international varieties, offering regulars something different.

Community spirit runs strong here. On the third Sunday of every month, bluegrass and old-time musicians gather beneath a magnificent 120-year-old oak tree in the beer garden. Fiddles, banjos and double basses appear, and anyone is welcome to join in.

The beer garden itself is still evolving, with further landscaping planned, but families are already spreading out on picnic tables and beanbags beneath the sprawling branches.

“It’s a really good community-based thing,” Dimas says. “Super chill, with games for the kids so parents can relax. That’s what it’s all about.”

THE BLACKWOOD HOTEL

1 Golden Point Rd, Blackwood

blackwoodhotel.com.au

STORY BY LARISSA DUBECKI
PHOTOS BY KAIYA RAE - CREATING RIPPLES