SALLY Smith has a love for historic buildings that exceeds that experienced by the average person.

The Hay resident is so passionate about her town's past that she has purchased two historic properties in the past two decades.

    THE BANK B&B AND ONE TREE HOTEL
  • HAY, NSW
  • Property: bed and breakfast, lifestyle, historic
  • Sale: private
  • Price: The Bank B&B $650,000; One Tree Hotel $250,000
  • Agent: Landmark, Hay
  • Contact: (02) 6993 1347

In 1994 Sally purchased a former bank turned private residence and transformed it into a bed and breakfast.

The London Chartered Bank was built in Hay in 1891 and is today classified by the National Trust.

It features high ceilings, cedar doors and full-length windows, with classic drapes throughout.

Sally said it had been hugely popular as a bed and breakfast business.

"I've never been busier," she said.

"The summer is usually my busy time; from about October to Christmas it is just flat out.

"But it's been exceptionally busy in winter.

"I've got regulars who come and stay and I think there is a huge amount of potential for the business."

There are three levels to the bank, which are accessed via a magnificent cedar staircase.

The formal dining room features a marble fireplace, while the private living area has three bedrooms and two bathrooms.

There is an architecturally designed open-plan informal living area with a magnificent glass atrium and open fireplace, with access to private grounds and an outdoor entertainment area.

The upstairs two-bedroom guest suite has its own bathroom complete with spa, and personal sitting room and balcony with panoramic views.

The bed and breakfast attracts customers from across Australia and is full of antique furniture, which is available with the sale of the property subject to negotiation.

There is an original bank chamber, complete with stained glass doors, that is currently used as an art gallery.

Sally's love for history was not satisfied by the bank though, and in 2000 she purchased the renowned One Tree Hotel.

The hotel, located in NSW between Hay and Booligal, was built in 1862 as a staging post for the bullock drays and Cobb and Co coaches making the trek between the two towns.

The liquor license at the hotel lapsed in 1942 and by the time Sally decided to buy it, it was derelict and in ruin.

Sally spent four years restoring the One Tree to all of its original glory.

"The district was very, very kind to me," Sally said.

"We pulled down three houses of that 1890s era to get spare parts, so everything I've used (to restore it) except for the new corrugated tin roof, is recycled material and all of that era.

"The front of the veranda, which is all Murray pine, it's all 100 years old."

Sally said she was in the final stages of getting a liquor license to sell alcohol on the premises, but in the interim had been running the One Tree as a BYO alcohol function centre.

She said it had been a joy to own two properties that were integral to the history of Hay, and that she believed both businesses had huge potential for growth.

"It's been fun, but I need a change now and I think it's time for some fresh, vital, people to take them off my hands," Sally said.

The Bank Bed and Breakfast and the One Tree Hotel can be sold either separately or as a whole.