Aug 31, 2026 – 4.22pmA consortium of hospitality investors, including Automic Group’s Paul Williams and pharmaceuticals company founder Paul Duchen, has sold The Merewether Surfhouse in Newcastle for around $27 million to veteran publican Ben May, in the latest example of the country’s buoyant pub trade.Also among the owners is lawyer-turned-publican Tony Green, who once operated the Royal Hotel in Paddington and The Clock in Surry Hills, alongside his brother-in-law John Tierney, another investor in the Newcastle pub.Subscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Fetching latest articles