Alton, 1870s Mount Macedon garden estate passed in
The historic Mount Macedon estate, Alton was passed in on a $5 million vendor bid at its weekend auction.
The property known for its botanic gardens, was offered by vendors mining executive Eduard Eshuys and his wife, Marjorie who restored its 1870s-built Venetian Gothic house.
Gardens make up four hectares of the 10.5-hectare holding.
It also has a small farm and an 1870s-built Venetian Gothic home, known as the gingerbread house.
Established by Sir George Verdon, at various times Victoria’s treasurer and Agent General, it was subsequently owned by Judge Hood and then by George Nicholas, the co-founder of ASPRO, this property has been always been prominent in the minds of Victorians.
The Eshuys' bought the estate in 1997 from Coles Myer-owned company Silver Meadows.
Its listing agent Jock Langley of Abercromby, who had the property in conjunction with Lindsay Hill Real Estate, Mount Macedon, had been issuing price guidance that other sales in the area had averaged about $380,000 per acre.
The property at 239 Alton Road, Mount Macedon, Alton was marketed as among the finest hill station estates. The hill stations concept comes from are high-altitude towns in India used, especially by European colonialists, as a place of refuge from the summer heat.
The garden includes 24 National Trust recognised trees.
The road's last sale was $3.25 million when the seven hectare estate, the 1870s Duncraggan sold last June.
The highest sale for the district was when Fosters brewery group secured $8.17 million in 2005 when the Gribbles Group director, Wallace Cameron bought the 8.8 hectare Sefton estate at Mount Macedon.
Built by William (Willie) Lawrence Baillieu as a summer retreat early in the century, the property included a nine-tee golf course, tennis court and croquet lawn.
It was offered at $12 million without success in 2010.
It has an English garden influenced by noted Royal Botanic Gardens directors Baron von Mueller and W. R. Guilfoyle.
The Sefton interiors were done by Fiona Barker Design.
Mount Macedon's first $1 million plus acreage sold in the late 1980s.