Heritage homestead Berrambool in Victoria's Western District on the market
A heritage Victorian homestead in need of a major cosmetic renovation is on the market for the first time in more than four decades.
Situated just outside Wickliffe, a small town in the Rural City of Ararat local government area, Berrambool homestead is being pitched as a rare opportunity for buyers to secure a heritage property on small acreage.
The homestead, which is being offered with 11.33 hectares, was constructed for the Moffatt family – an early pioneer family in the Western District who also constructed the iconic Chatsworth House near Mortlake in the 1850s.
Built in 1864 by Scottish stonemasons using stone quarried from the property, Berrambool was designed by Hamilton architect, James H. Fox, who had previously designed Chatsworth House.
The homestead has a national heritage classification and local heritage overlay and is being sold with a stable complex, constructed around 1868.
The Berrambool Shearing and Woolshed is being offered as a separate listing, pending an application to subdivide the existing property into two.
Built in 1868 and extended in 1890, the large bluestone building is situated on 13.94 hectares.
Various members of the Moffat family retained ownership of Berrambool up until the commencement of soldier settlements in the district post-World War II when the 8190-hectare property was divided into smaller parcels.
The Holyman family purchased and restored the homestead in the 1960s before the current occupants, who also own farmland nearby, took possession in 1975.
Listing agent Leeson White of Charles Stewart Real Estate said the preference was for both listings to be purchased in one line but the owner would be open to separate offers.
The homestead and stables are being advertised with a guide of $1.45 million to $1.55 million while the wool shed has a guide of $332,500 to $367,500.
Mr White said the property would likely appeal to metropolitan buyers in search for a weekender or a tree change, having already received inquiry from Melbourne and interstate-based buyers.
“It’s a great lifestyle property. Where the setting is, it’s beautiful – it’s next to the Hopkins River,” he said.
Mr Leeson said the new owners of the homestead would have a “restoration delight” on their hands.
“The kitchen is liveable but not so much the rest of the house,” he said.
Dominic Romeo of Circa Heritage and Lifestyle, who has the listing with Mr Leeson, said it was rare for a heritage property to be offered with a small amount of land, making it accessible to a greater number of buyers.
“I specialise in historic houses in Tasmania and Victoria and houses like this rarely come on the market, [those] that are on small acreage. There’s quite a high demand for historic houses but often when they come on the market they’re on large acreage so they’re out of reach for most people. The great thing about this is the size of land,” Mr Romeo said.
He agreed that a cosmetic renovation was in order but said the building was structurally in “excellent condition”.
“It’s a huge cosmetic renovation – it needs renovating and rewiring but the stonework is in excellent condition,” he said.
Both agents agreed that either the wool shed, stables or homestead would be ideal for use in a hospitality setting.
“People might consider to renovate and restore it and they might have weddings there for example, [using the] stables for accommodation as a farm stay,” Mr White said.
“A lot of people are looking at it as a grand country home but it certainly lends itself to high-end accommodation. The wool shed, that would make an amazing house studio or even perhaps someone could use it as a gin distillery,” Mr Romeo added.
1009 Chatsworth Wickliffe Road, Wickliffe is for sale by expressions of interest closing November 27.
