By ANNA USHER

On Sunday, Sarah Monahan turned 49 – and received the keys to a bar, marking the start of a new life.

“After all that I’ve been through, I’ve found my happy place again,” the former Hey Dad..! star told Mosman Collective exclusively, from behind the bar of the Honey Rider at 230 Military Rd, Neutral Bay – which she now owns.

“I hope everyone can come and find their happy place at Honey Rider, too.”

For a generation of Australians, Sarah Monahan is remembered as Jenny Kelly – the quick-witted youngest daughter on the top-rating sitcom which aired from 1987 to 1994.

However, behind the scenes, she faced challenges that required enormous courage to reveal.

In 2010, Monahan alleged she had been sexually abused on set by Robert Hughes, her on-screen father.

In 2014, he was found guilty of child sexual abuse.

Hughes spent eight years in jail and was released on parole in 2022, then deported to the UK.

Monahan went on to write a memoir, Allegedly (2016), and campaigned alongside Derryn Hinch for a national sex offender registry.

She moved to the U.S, married a Texan, Matt Morris, in 2002, and began a fresh chapter away from the spotlight.

Two years ago, Monahan returned to Australia.

“You deserve this for yourself”

Since coming back, Monahan has lived in Mosman, saying the lower north shore quickly captured her heart.

“I love that this part of Sydney is so safe and so friendly,” she told Mosman Collective. “It very much feels like home.”

Her husband played a key role in encouraging her to pursue the Honey Rider opportunity.

“Matt brought me down to the bar and said, ‘You can do this. You deserve to do this for yourself,’ and so I leapt in!” she said.

Sarah has spent the past month learning the ropes, making cocktails and pouring beers – and she loves every minute of it.

“The bar is full of good vibes,” she said.

Gen X behind the bar

Monahan’s vision for Honey Rider is as much about community as it is about cocktails.

By day, she plans to open a creative space inside the venue, with proper equipment and lighting for locals to record podcasts and videos.

“We open at 4pm, so it makes sense to use the space during the day, then party at night,” she said.

“The idea is for Honey Rider to be a true community hub.”

A love letter perhaps, to the generation that grew up watching her on television.

“We are going to have a Gen X vibe, so think colourful drinks like Midori Splice, Tequila Sunrise, Blue Lagoons and Strawberry Daiquiris,” she said.

“If you’re a fan of the movie Cocktail with Tom Cruise and Bryan Brown, you will love what we are doing at Honey Rider.”

Neon signs are coming. The soundtrack will match. Game nights are planned. Bar snacks – proper ones – are on the way.

Tuesdays will become “Texas Tuesday”: fresh pico de gallo, guacamole and spicy margaritas. Wednesdays will be “Wings Day.” Throughout the year, Bastille Day, Independence Day, St Patrick’s Day, and Australia Day are on the calendar, and Monahan is open to celebrating any expat’s home country, too.

“If our regulars want their own country celebrated, we can do that too,” she said.

Dogs are welcome. Monahan has a dehydrator and plans to make her own treats for locals who bring their pooches in.

What’s on tap

The Honey Rider has long been an Esker Beer venue. The tap lineup includes West Coast IPA, Pacific Ale, Hazy Pale, Fatty Boy Lager, Old Dark Ale and the Gravity Hard Solo Limoncello.

A pint of Esker will set you back $13.50. The Hazy Ale and West Coast IPA are $16.50 a pint. Cocktails run at around $22. The venue is licensed for Monahan, who also runs her YouTube channel Shrimp Tank.

She says she always knew she was headed for hospitality – but just needed someone to say so.

“Actors buy a liquor brand or buy a bar,” she said. “And I guess I now fit into that category!”

She paused, then: “After all that I’ve been through, I’ve found my happy place again.”

Honey Rider Bar, 230 Military Rd, Neutral Bay. Open Tuesday – Saturday from 4pm, Sunday from 4pm.