Half a village for sale in Tasmania for less than a Sydney apartment
Has the boom in mainland house prices got you down?
There was a time when the Tasmanian capital of Hobart offered respite to weary house hunters, but even that city has recorded robust house price growth in recent years.
But look further inland on the Apple Isle and there’s still a bargain to be found, as evidenced by this unique listing: half of the Waddamana village, for sale for the first time in 30 years.
On the market with a price guide of $700,000-plus, the village has been owned by the current owners since 1991.
That price guide compares to a current median unit price of $729,840 in Sydney, according to the latest Domain Group data.
Built to house workers constructing the Waddamana hydro-electric power station in the early 1900s, the village has subsequently been used as a recreational hub, hosting school groups and fishers as well as itinerant workers.
Both hydro stations have now been decommissioned.
Owner Helen Cooper recently told the ABC she and her late husband had purchased the entire village, which is bordered by the River Ouse, on a whim in 1991.
They operated it as a tourist destination for 25 years before selling a section of it about seven years ago. After the initial owners went into liquidation that stake was again sold, this time to Genex Power director Michael Addison, who said at the time he planned to use the village as accommodation for workers on the nearby Wild Cattle Hill wind farm project.
The section on offer now is described as the ‘residential’ side of the village. It consists of a three-bedroom superintendent’s house, another four three-bedroom houses dating back to the 1930s, two three-bedroom demountable cabins, a games room and tennis court.
Listing agent Andrew Fisher, of Nutrien Harcourts Tasmania, said while tourists had traditionally followed the coastal route around Tasmania, inland areas were becoming increasingly popular.
“Those lesser visited areas are becoming more and more visited,” he said. “People love the highlands and fishing and exploring wild Tasmania.”
He described Waddamana as being equidistant between Hobart and Launceston, with a smattering of small towns with supermarkets and pubs within easy driving distance.
“It’s the geographic central region of the state; from all directions, it’s just about in the middle,” he said.
He said he’d already received interest from locals, interstate and even as far as Singapore.
The property would appeal to a tourism operator but its price has also put it within reach of community groups, with its proximity to the Central Highlands’ famous trout-fishing lakes likely to be a significant drawcard.
“There’s lots of hunting and shooting groups, fly fisherman and lovers of the Tasmanian wilderness – it’s not a great deal of money in terms of investment for a group of investors with a common cause [like that],” he said.
