FERNHILL

Heritage

BEN WILMOT

Fernhill at Mulgoa, left; Fairfield House in the NSW Hawkesbury, region, below; and an aerial view of Fernhill, bottom

Estate planning Grand old properties are being repurposed for the future

Some of the country’s grandest residential properties could be in for big changes, with new uses being planned for stunning homes across major cities and country hamlets.

The mansions, ranging from the sprawling Fernhill estate on the outskirts of Sydney to Shrublands, a grand home in Melbourne’s up-market Canterbury, could take on a new life if the plans come to fruition.

Fernhill at Mulgoa could be first in line for an overhaul after it was purchased by the NSW government in 2018 for $27.25 million from a unit of finance company Angas Securities. The unusual state acquisition seemingly marked the final chapter in a long-running saga in which the Georgian mansion and surrounding lands were almost sold off to be used as a cemetery. Fierce opposition from the NSW government sank that idea and it quietly stepped in to purchase Fernhill and its extensive grounds.

The sale was brokered by Christie’s International Real Estate managing director Ken Jacobs, who also fielded interest from offshore and developers.

Now the government is looking to bring the 1830s heritage-listed homestead back to life. Thankfully, any development impinging on the main homestead, which includes a 16-seat dining room, ballroom, 12 sandstone fireplaces, and a horseracing track and stables that housed two Melbourne Cup winners, is off the table.

An earlier scheme by South African businessman Simon Tripp, who picked up the property in late 2012, that would have seen him team with Angas to build a 100-lot-plus housing development in the precincts near the mansion, also has been consigned to history.

With much relief at having avoided a carve-up of the historic grounds, NSW Planning and Public Spaces Minister Rob Stokes called for public help in shaping what he hopes will be a significant open space over the 412ha estate. Stokes says Fernhill will be a signature public parkland and identifies potential options for the site. They include arts and cultural activities, such as a museum or gallery, medium-scale events and boutique accommodation, agricultural uses and not-for-profit uses, such as a wildlife sanctuary or research and education facilities.

Options for parts of the grounds could include camping and glamping, or even turning over more remote areas to a working farm, allowing for grazing, orchards and vineyards. As the economy recovers, there are hopes the property could attract tourism, and recreational ideas, which include more equestrian facilities, could be another drawcard.

The estate’s history is a pointer to its future uses. The original owners, the Cox family, whose land grants make up Fernhill estate and built the main house and nearby Cox’s Cottage, began horse-breeding activities there. A later owner, Hilda Moyes, advertised Fernhill estate as a holiday destination. The Darling family later began the estate’s restoration, including works by landscape architect Paul Sorensen. The 1980s entrepreneur Warren Anderson remade the property and used it to house many of his famed antiques, pouring millions into restoring the entire estate, redecorating the house and adding new buildings.

Most recently, the Tripps hosted concerts but also activated conservation works, including setting up biobanking agreements over a considerable portion of the estate, with the untouched bushlands now spinning off a lucrative income.

Other historic properties are also in line to be spruced up. Fairfield House in the NSW Hawkesbury region is on the block for the first time in three decades. Built in the early 1800s, the striking property once housed a pioneer and even hosted an international cricket match in 1882. The grand Victorian house incorporates an earlier Georgian residence that was extended in the Victorian Filigree style by Henry McQuade, who managed Her Majesty’s Theatre in Sydney,

in 1880. At that time it housed actors and also once included a private racetrack. The two-storey residence in Windsor was recently a wedding reception venue but a wide range of options is now on the table, says agent Morris Short of Remax Xtra, who says it could sell for about $4 million. “I’ve had people look at it as boutique accommodation, a day spa, a pub and a wedding venue,” he says. “We’re also talking to an aged-care operator. There are all sorts of opportunities there for it.”

In Melbourne, the Shrublands estate in Canterbury is gathering wide interest from local and offshore parties keen to test its $42 million to $46 million price guide as offers have been extended. Abercromby’s Real Estate director Jock Langley says the 42-room property has a business angle, with some private companies looking at the home as a potential headquarters.

“I reckon there has been a shift globally towards that,” he says. While most businesses “bailed out” of working from mansions in 1980s, Langley says “there is actually a focus for that style of property coming back again”.

He says the Italianate estate offers ample event space and can accommodate dignitaries, comparing it to Malvern’s Stonington mansion that was used by dealer Rod Menzies to display art for his auction house before he sold the home for about $52.5 million in 2017. “There’s a new focus for people looking for properties like that,” he says, quipping that it could also suit a more isolated style of living.

Other mansions, particularly rural homesteads and older colonial homes that have served as government facilities, have been through multiple uses already, as the rise of pastoralist and merchant families gave way to the need for state buildings. With the cycle placing many of the finest properties back in private hands and in the possibly straitened times ahead, mansions with another string in their bow could be more sought after.