40 Years: A Brief History
April 11, 2017
When digging into the Bayfield family history, there’s a reoccurring theme that runs deep through the family: Dee Why Hotel (affectionately referred to as ‘the pub’). There’s really no doubt about it, hospitality is in their blood. While this year marks the Bayfield Hotel Group’s 40th anniversary, we need to go back a little further to where it all began with Mark & Wayne’s late maternal Grandfather, Bill Wright, who spent his life working and managing pubs for over 50 years.
When Wayne finished school, his Grandfather Bill arranged a casual job for him in a pub, and Wayne was instantly hooked. Around the same time, Neville’s professional life changed and he decided to invest in a hotel with Bill. Not long after, an opportunity came up to take on Dee Why Hotel. So on Wayne’s 19th birthday they took over the hotel and a short time later, Mark joined them in the business.
Despite the success and growth of the business, Neville always put his family first. “Our dad lived his life for his family, and being publicans, having family work in the business was very important,” said Wayne. “We have been very fortunate that mum, dad, Mark, Yvonne, Sharon (Mark & Wayne’s wives) and myself have had a great relationship and can work together.” To this day, The Bayfield Hotel Group remains a tight-knit family, with many members currently working in the business.
Presently, the group boasts an impressive portfolio that includes Dee Why Hotel, Bayfields Liquor Superstore at Dee Why, Bayfields online and most recently, the purchase of The Light Brigade in Sydney’s eastern suburbs. They previously owned The Caringbah Hotel, The Belrose Hotel, The Sands, Newport Mirage and are known most famously for The Newport Arms, which they owned for a remarkable 24 years!