Hey Dad..! star is unrecognisable as she reveals her surprise new career

She rose to fame as the beloved character of Jenny in the Aussie 80s TV hit, Hey Dad..!

But Sarah Monahan has a very different career these days and has revealed she is the proud new owner of a trendy nightspot on Sydney's north shore.

Photos have emerged of Sarah behind the bar at Honey Rider in Neutral Bay.

In the images, Sarah, who turned 49 on Sunday, still has her familiar smile, but the one-time child star is barely recognisable from her days on one of Australia's most popular sitcoms.

In one picture, Sarah can be seen posing in front of her new bar in blue jeans, which she paired with a lacy grey Henley shirt.

Accessorising with a braided belt and dangle earrings, the former actress and author sported a flattering cropped hairstyle.

In another photo, shared by Mosman Collective, Sarah can be seen pulling a schooner of ale.

The news hub's Instagram also featured a throwback picture of Sarah sporting pigtails when she was a youngster.

Sarah took over the keys of the establishment on April 12, which coincided with her birthday.

Speaking to the publication soon after assuming ownership of the bar, Sarah referenced her harrowing abuse at the hands of her Hey Dad..! co-star, Robert Hughes.

'After all that I’ve been through, I’ve found my happy place again,' she said.

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

After living in the US for 20 years, Sarah returned to Australia in 2022 and now lives in Mosman, not far from her bar on busy Military Road.

Sarah said she was persuaded to purchase the bar by her husband Matt Morris, who told her, 'You deserve this'.

Her plans for Honey Rider, which has been a local hotspot for 15 years, include installing studio space where 'creatives' can make podcasts and videos.

Sarah was one of 10 people who accused Hey Dad..! star Robert Hughes of molesting them as children. 

In 2014, Robert was sentenced to six years in jail for 10 child sex charges.

While allegations against Hughes were raised in the 1990s, it took a paid television interview by Sarah in 2010 to spark a broad police investigation into claims of sexual misconduct by the actor.  

Hughes played Sarah's on-screen father on the show from 1987 to 1994.

She was six years old when she joined the cast.

Hughes, who has renounced his Australian citizenship, was released from prison in 2022 and deported to the UK after being granted parole. 

Now 77, it is understood Hughes has remained in the UK with his wife Robyn Gardiner.

Sarah gave an emotional account of the abuse she suffered at the hands of the actor in her 2016 memoir, Allegedly.