A "mind-blowing" coincidence has been unearthed in the renovation of an iconic Merewether pub.
Beach Hotel owner Glenn Piper said after the floorboards were ripped up in the main bar area, an inscription was found etched into the concrete slab underneath.
"I thought that's really cool to see that," he said. "And then I read it and it said 'Larry 1978' and it just blew my mind. I was like, how could this have happened?"
The coincidence is that Mr Piper has recently opened the first phase of the pub's redevelopment, a kiosk called Larrie's.
The name came from "the Aussie larrikin" and had no connection to the engraving on the concrete slab.
"We probably went through 20-odd names before I selected Larrie's and landed on that one," Mr Piper said.
Mr Piper said he asked the team to reach out to previous owner John Twohill, who said 'Larry 1978' was likely written by Larry Carter, a local regular who would drop in for a schooner of Tooth's Old.
Larry was supposedly known as "Larry Carter, the s--t carter" as he drove a sewage truck, and was somewhat of a local legend.
"He sounds like a larrikin," Mr Piper said.
"I've asked if anyone can track down some photos or anything because we would love to have that but we haven't got anywhere yet with our research."
Meanwhile, Mr Piper said the renovation was progressing well, with plans to re-open the pub later this year. The development will feature bricks collected over half a century by Hunter local Ian Sherman.
"We've done all the structural works and now moving into doing the finishes and electrical and services," he said.
"We've definitely taken a little time and care with the finishes. We want it to feel like it's made of Merewether."
"It's very exciting. We can't wait to open up."
