Ballarat district bluestone Mount Mitchell homestead listed
One of Victoria's most impressive pastoral homestead, Mount Mitchell at Lexton, 40 kilometres northwest of Ballarat, has been listed for sale.
The five bedroom 100 squares bluestone home with 14 open fire places, that dates back to the Robertson family pioneering connection, has been listed through Pat Rice & Hawkins.
Offers on the 310 hectare holding close November 11 with $4.5 million plus hopes.
Constructed around the central courtyard with its historic horizontal elm tree, the Mount Mitchell homestead was designed by the Charles Webb, who was the architect for a number of Melbourne’s foremost buildings including Tasma Terrace in East Melbourne.
The bluestone homestead, of Italian conservative classical design, sits within a four hectare garden.
The vendors, the fourth owners, have been there thirty plus years, buying it in a neglected state in 1981.
Construction of the homestead began in 1860 and was completed some twelve months later with a further replica section added in 1910.
Peter Hawkins, director of Pat Rice & Hawkins, advised 766 acres was currently let under contract for cropping to a local farmer and also comprises highly productive red loams to heavier and darker soils considered to be volcanic in origin.
The land is on a corner with the Sunraysia Highway and Dawson Road.
The building of the homestead commenced in 1860 and was completed during 1861 for Thomas Robertson senior and his eldest son James. Thomas lived there until his death in 1873 with James and his family remaining at Mt Mitchell until James death in 1893.
In 1910 Thomas Robertson senior's grandchild engaged another architect to design the additions which almost doubled the size of the original homestead.
In 1926 Mt Mitchell was sold to the new owner, Thomas Barrett who extended the garden and planted the pine trees which still grow along the full length of the driveway.
In 1936 Thomas Barrett sold Mt Mitchell to the Muller brothers and for a period of time the homestead was left neglected and in disrepair until it was purchased by the current owner Richard Salter.