Historic western district farm Terinallum for sale
It’s one of Victoria’s best-known farms, with a history of wool growing and lamb fattening going back to 1846, but it’s Terinallum’s homestead and extensive gardens that are likely to get people talking.
On the market for the first time since 1989, the 3240-hectare property near Darlington, in Victoria’s western district, has been listed for sale with Colliers International agents Shane McIntyre and Tim Altschwager.
The property features a creek-side pool. Photo: Supplied
They’ve already received a high number of inquiries after a “really strong first week” – both from Australia-based and overseas investors – with Mr Altschwager stating that they didn’t anticipate any issues with the Foreign Investment Review Board.
The historic homestead sits on three hectares of manicured gardens, including a croquet lawn. Photo: Supplied
The property, which was once visited by the Victorian governor and later governor-general Lord John Hopetoun, comes with 7700 head of cross-bred ews, and is currently being used for cattle agistment and crops of canola, wheat and barley – with potential to expand operations.
It is being marketed as a walk-in, walk-out sale, meaning the property is being sold as a going concern with stock and infrastructure are included.
“(It’s) reliably watered by natural springs, the property has been astutely developed with centre pivot irrigation enabling lucerne and fodder production supporting 17,000 sheep, including lambs, 550 hectares of winter crop and up to 500 dairy agistment cattle per year,” Mr Altschwager said.
Including an historic woolshed constructed in 1850, the property isn’t among the biggest in Victoria, but it stands out as one of the best, Mr Altschwager said.
It was established by the Clyde family in 1846, and according to the farm website has been owned by a variety of pastoral families since, including the Cummings, the Baileys, the Wynnes, Lindsay Nicholas and his famous concert pianist wife, Hephzibah Menuhin, the McEacherans, and the Barr-Smiths.
The gardens feature English trees, a reflection pool and wysteria walk. Photo: Supplied
A large part of that was down to the impressive homestead, constructed in 1860 and extensively renovated in 1930 in the art deco style.
The croquet lawn still gets a good workout from the current owners, stockbroker John McIntosh and wife Marita, and the fully hedged three-hectare gardens, including English trees and a reflection pool, were featured for several years in the Open Gardens Scheme.
The six-bedroom homestead includes six-metre ceilings, an Aga stove, open fireplaces, a walk-in panty, wine cellar, den and music room/library.
“It’s a big open-plan house with big long hallways right down the middle, and the bedrooms are quite large,” Mr Altschwager said.
The homestead includes open fires and an Aga stove. Photo: Supplied
Along with the croquet lawn, family activities befitting of such a stately home include taking to the tennis courts or having a dip in the creek-side swimming pool.
Mr Altschwager wouldn’t disclose a price guide, but did point to nearby Banongill Station, sold by colleague Shane McIntyre in September, as an example of what such properties could fetch in the current market.
The homestead was built in 1860 with extensive renovations conducted in 1930. Photo: Supplied
Banongill sold to an American agricultural fund operated by Laguna Bay Pastoral Company for an undisclosed price, with industry sources saying the land alone would be worth $30 million and local media reporting the sale at $50 million.
