Highway to homes: Bon Scott's legendary Perth pub tipped for $93m redevelopment
The former Leopold Hotel, so widely linked to AC/DC's Highway to Hell, could make way for an 11-storey apartment tower and micro brewery, reigniting debate over Perth's housing needs and the future of its cultural landmarks.
The former Leopold Hotel may have poured its last beer, but one of Perth’s most famous rock landmarks is preparing for its next act.
Plans have been lodged to redevelop the historic Bicton pub site that long associated with the inspiration for AC/DC’s Highway to Hell into a $93 million mixed-use development featuring 203 apartments, a two-storey microbrewery and retail space.
For many West Australians, the proposal is a touch too much from the Leo’s beginnings as a neighbourhood pub in 1907. For planners, however, it is another example of the difficult balancing act between preserving local history and delivering desperately needed housing.
New South Wales developer Changfeng Pty Ltd has applied to the Western Australian Planning Commission to demolish the former hotel at 326 Canning Highway.
It would be a long way to the top, with the proposed tower standing at 11-storeys, which would make it a local landmark. The demolished old pub would comprise 17 studio, 87 one-bedroom, 75 two-bedroom and 24 three-bedroom apartments.
New South Wales developer Changfeng Pty Ltd, directed by Ching Wu and Kwai Mo Wong, lodged the $93 million development application with the planning commission.
The proposal also includes a two-level microbrewery, liquor store, cafés, retail tenancies and a pocket park fronting Canning Highway.
Housing supply meets rock history
The Leopold occupies a unique place in Australian rock folklore.
The pub is widely associated with late AC/DC frontman Bon Scott, who lived in nearby North Fremantle and reportedly walked along Canning Highway after shifts behind the bar. Music publications, including NME, have long linked those journeys to the inspiration behind Highway to Hell, while the stretch of road itself became the centrepiece of Perth Festival’s spectacular 2020 Highway to Hell event.
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Now, the site could become part of Perth’s response to the state’s housing shortage.
Planning documents argue the redevelopment would help the City of Melville meet ambitious infill housing targets, which require an additional 10,830 dwellings by 2031 and almost 18,500 by 2050.
“The development will provide crucial housing in the midst of a housing crisis,” the planning report states.
“The private sector is finding it challenging to deliver housing in areas where there is a demonstrated need, but where the economic circumstances do not favour residential development.”
The report also argues the proposed microbrewery would preserve the site’s long-standing hospitality role without attracting unwanted riff raff, despite breweries not ordinarily being permitted under the current zoning.
Pending acceptance from locals who aren’t too thunderstruck by the proposal, the brewery is intended to be “a continuation and evolution of the site’s long-standing hospitality function”.
Not everyone is ready to salute
The proposal is seen by some as a problem child, reigniting debate over building height and neighbourhood character.
Because the project exceeds $20 million, it has been lodged under Western Australia’s Significant Development Pathway, meaning the final decision will rest with the Western Australian Planning Commission rather than the City of Melville.
Melville councillor Karen Wheatland has encouraged residents to participate in the public consultation, describing the proposal as a significant departure from the area’s existing planning framework.
“This is a substantial departure from the current planning framework,” Ms Wheatland said.
“The existing scheme generally provides for a maximum height of around 17.5 metres, or approximately five storeys.”
She said there was currently no activity centre or precinct plan supporting an 11-storey development on the site.
“I support more housing and well-planned development, but development of this scale must be properly justified,” Wheatland said.
“The community deserves clear answers about building height, traffic, parking, overshadowing, privacy, neighbourhood character and the impact on nearby residents.”
Supporters, however, will argue Perth must step away from the razor’s edge in objecting whenever higher-density housing is proposed if it hopes to address chronic housing shortages.
A changing tune for Perth development
Beyond the nostalgia, the Leopold proposal reflects a broader shift occurring across Australian cities.
Former pubs, clubs and ageing commercial sites are increasingly being identified as opportunities to deliver well-located housing close to existing transport, employment and services while getting finance for such sites back in black. As governments pursue higher-density development to improve housing supply, more culturally significant sites are likely to become candidates for redevelopment.
Whether the Leopold ultimately survives planning scrutiny or is shot down in flames during the approval process remains to be seen.
Public consultation on the proposal closes on 30 August.
If approved, Perth would lose one of its best-known pieces of rock history, but gain more than 200 new homes on a prominent infill site.
For those about to debate the proposal, the conversation is likely to extend well beyond nostalgia. It has become another test of how Australian cities accommodate growth while deciding which pieces of their past they are prepared to ride on.
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