A beautifully restored historic farmhouse set on 25 ha (62 acres) of green rolling downs in the picturesque Derwent Valley just 45 minutes North of Hobart CBD. Rosevale, circa 1828, is a magnificent property of exceptional character with commanding views across all the land it surveys, offering an ideal country retreat with style, comfort and all the modern amenities.
When approached via Marked Tree Road driving up through ancient woodlands, towering eucalypts and weather worn rock cliffs, suddenly it comes out to views across the green paddocks of Rosevale providing an idyllic setting for the landmark homestead.
The main gates to the property are on Thousand Acre Lane and open onto a long grassy driveway past grazing horses and Friesian cattle and a hillside of the famous Rosevale daffodils and jonquils, to white fence palings that lead into a circular driveway sweeping around in front of the homestead itself.
Surrounded by fruit trees of all descriptions the bricked pathway leads to the stone flagged verandah and on through the enormous six panelled front door, on which the signature of the notorious bush ranger Martin Cash was found, into the wide hallway with its fabulous original polished floorboards.
The formal drawing room and formal dining room lead off either side, through their Georgian six panelled doors, each with magnificent fireplaces adorned with carved timber mantles. The views from each room out across the gardens and on to the green paddocks are stunning. Further down the hall the study leads off to the left featuring yet another huge fireplace and original mantelpiece.
On through the spacious library with its entire wall of bookshelves to the large country eat in kitchen featuring an enormous stone fireplace fitted with a Nectre wood heater and baking oven. While the original wood-fired bread oven, still in working order, sits opposite the generous light filled laundry. The kitchen floor is part stone flagging and part six inch eucalypt polished timber floorboards. Stairs lead up from the kitchen to the original maids quarters above. The kitchen itself, fit for a country chef, offers extensive bench space and storage cupboards and is equipped with gas appliances perfect for creating exquisite jams and preserves from the garden produce. In the main house the original panelled under stair cupboards, including food safes, are currently stocked with the homemade jams and chutneys from the property.
The staircase leading up from the hall features a hand carved polished blackwood handrail and slender Georgian bannisters. Four generous bedrooms and one smaller bedroom lead off the central landing through original six panelled doors. Each of the four main bedrooms, with their vaulted plaster ceilings, feature either an open fireplace or wood heater with the same original polished timber floors throughout. The views from the bedrooms are, if it is possible, even more stunning than those from the ground floor. There are two bathrooms each with smart black diagonally tiled floors, one with a luxurious cast iron bath specially flown out from Germany together with Grohe tapware and shower, the other featuring a spacious shower.
The homestead is a magnificent example of Georgian Colonial architecture of stone filled timber nogging and weatherboard construction in beautiful condition.
Some fifty metres from the main house stands the original 1828 timber hay and wool barn with attached horse stables. The barn is huge with over 134 m2 of storage. The original slatted sheep shearing area runs across the back and a large workshop at one end with farm workers loft sits above. A further 86 m2 section of the barn is in the process of being converted (STCA) into a two storey two bedroom apartment. Lined throughout with Baltic pine together with wide Tasmanian Oak floorboards, this space features a vast lounge area with a soaring cathedral ceiling and a marble bench topped kitchen with Ilve gas cooktop. The scullery, also with marble bench top, leads off the kitchen space. The spacious bathroom, features a generous shower , is tiled in smart black floor tiles and includes a granite vanity bench top with space for washing machine and dryer. One bedroom is located on the ground level with the other on the mezzanine with provision for a second bathroom. This converted space is close to completion.
The 67 acre property includes some 30 acres of pasture in five paddocks with a carrying capacity of either 70 ewes or 12 cattle or horses or production of around 750 bales annually. The balance of the property is native forest inhabited by a huge variety of Tasmanian wildlife including Tasmanian devils, wallabies, bettongs and wombats together with a wide range of birdlife with the yellow tailed black cockatoos native to the area. There is also a Native Revegetation Zone planted with some 3000 mature native trees.
A large fenced nursery is planted with abundant vegetables, herbs and nut trees while the delightful gardens are filled with many established fruit trees including several varieties of plum and apple, pear, cherry, quince and crab apple together with numerous ornamental trees. There is also an original pear orchard. The property features substantial plantings of blackcurrant bushes and has grown organic herbs for the pharmaceutical and horse racing industries.
Rosevale has four dams with a combined capacity of 10 megalitres, a 30m bore capable of delivering 2000 l per hour, tank capacity of 34,000 l and an original spring fed well. The property is powered by a hybrid power system featuring a Honda Fuel Injected EU7SI 7 kW petrol generator, solar panel array, Victron Easy Solar 3000 inverter and a 1300 Ah battery bank.
Rosevale is located in the Derwent Valley in a truly special place, surrounded by age old trees, a wildlife reserve and set in an original clearing in the Cockatoo Valley. This quality of historic property very seldom comes onto
