In Focus December 2022 - Jellis Craig

In Focus

Infrastructure & local insights for Ballarat

Ballarat has cemented its reputation as a regional hotspot, with its population expected to balloon by 25 per cent, to almost 145,000, by 2036. The jewel in central Victoria’s crown has attracted substantial investment in recent years to support this unprecedented growth.

Transformative infrastructure works have breathed new life into the historic heart of the CBD. Unveiled in February, the highly anticipated Ballarat Station Precinct is a vibrant commercial, transport and community hub boasting a new Quest Apartment Hotel, refurbished Goods Shed Convention Centre, public plaza, 400-space commuter carpark and new bus interchange.

The council is continuing its work to rejuvenate Ballarat’s heritage retail precinct with a $15 million Bridge Street Mall redevelopment set to provide new play and meeting spaces. Meanwhile, the $7 million Mair Street upgrade, and extensive streetscape activation funding, have enhanced retail and dining experiences across the bustling city. A $2 million government investment will add 1000 additional parking spaces, with the first 300 to be delivered near the new, multi-million-dollar GovHub.

Ballarat’s economy has grown by 45 per cent in the past decade, and the Ballarat West Employment zone is set to accelerate this further over the next 20 years. The 438-hectare development adjacent to Ballarat Airport will include a freight hub with road, rail and airport access, creating a high-quality, high-profile industrial precinct.

Upgrades to the train line have delivered 135 extra weekly services, with 20-minute peak services for growing communities along the line enhancing Ballarat’s liveability for this expanding commuter population.

Work has commenced on Ballarat Base Hospital’s $541 million redevelopment, which will deliver a new emergency department, and 100 extra inpatient and short-stay beds by 2027. Final designs are expected to be released later this year.

Infrastructure & local insights for Castlemaine, Daylesford & Woodend

Regions around Central Victoria are still experiencing a post lockdown population boom as Melburnians leave the city for the enviable lifestyle on offer in our region. This influx of new residents is being supported by significant council and government investment to deliver vital infrastructure and upgrades that position the region for future growth.

In the Mount Alexander Shire, the Maldon Streetscape Revitalisation Project is sensitively restoring shopfronts, and improving amenities with underground powerlines, new footpaths, lights and street furniture. The council has also rolled out a suite of streetscape improvement works across the shire, improving amenity and tourism viability in the townships of Campbells Creek, Chewton, Elphinstone, Guildford, Newstead and Taradale.

In the Hepburn Shire, the transformative Creswick Trails and Hammon Park Trailhead upgrades are expected to be completed by the end of the year. The two projects will form a network of 60km of purposebuilt mountain bike trails in the regional

park, state forest and plantation lands just outside of Creswick. Work is also underway on the $4.6 million Trentham Community Hub, which will include a new library, visitor information centre, and community hall, and the $2.4 million redevelopment of Trentham Sportsground Reserve Pavilion.

In the Macedon Ranges, a raft of projects will add value for residents. The multi-million dollar 15-hectare Macedon Ranges Regional Sports Precinct will be completed by the end of 2024, and the Woodend Community Centre has been earmarked for a $9 million redevelopment. Lastly, in response to Gisborne’s community growth, Willowbank Primary School opened in early 2022 to cater for 475 students.

FEATURE ARTICLE

Spotlight on Ballarat & Central Victoria

In the state’s north-west and all within a half-hour from each other sit Woodend, Castlemaine, Daylesford and Ballarat. During the summer months, these areas transform into a vibrant and busy hub, with day-trippers and weekenders alike choosing to spend their summer break surrounded by beautiful natural surrounds, fantastic galleries, great places to eat, and plenty of history.

Jellis Craig’s four lifestyle offices in this regional area of Victoria shared with us some of their favourite places to go, where to stay, and things to do in the area, just in time for the summer season.

Galleries and Museums

Art galleries abound in Central Victoria. Pay a visit to The Mill in Castlemaine, a hub for foodies, creatives and lovers of art. Described as one of the most beautiful galleries in Australia, the Convent Gallery in Daylesford is a must-visit. The program at The Convent changes every six to eight weeks, meaning there is always something new to explore. No stay in Daylesford is complete without a visit to the Daylesford Museum, a museum established in 1971 with local memorabilia and artefacts. Until January 2023, the Art Gallery of Ballarat will be celebrating the rich lives and the diverse crews about traditional pirate ships in their exhibit, Under the Black Flag. Also in Ballarat, Sovereign Hill hosts a number of Christmas related events over the course of December. From the 20th - 23rd January, Australians folk-roots music festival, Newstead Live, will be back in the historic country town of Newstead near Castlemaine. Expect a range of diverse and highly regarded international and national artists performing in live music venues, concert spaces, workshops, impromptu sessions, spoken word performances and open-mic sessions. The festival is appropriate for all ages with music of all genres.

Walks

The Macedon Ranges attracts thousands of walk-loving visitors each year. A particularly popular destination for these visitors is the Macedon Ranges Walking Trail, a full-day 30-kilometre circuit that takes in scenic views, granite boulders, volcanic rock formations and of course an abundance of native flora and fauna. In nearby Trentham is the Domino Rail Trail, a 6 kilometer stretch of old railway line that connects Lyonville with Trentham. Relatively flat and simple to follow, this is an easy walk that ends at the site of the old Lyonville Train Station. Synonymous with the city of Ballarat is Lake Wendouree and its almost 6 kilometre track that winds around its perimeter. Along the way, admire beautiful heritage homes, historic monuments, the Ballarat Botanical Gardens, birdlife and more. The Mount Buninyong lookout is a hallmark of the district and its gentle route is perfect for all level of hikers. 25 minutes from Castlemaine and 40 minutes from Daylesford in the small town of Metcalfe is The Cascades, a series of rockpools, crevices and little caverns that you can spend the day exploring. Relax in a rockpool, take a dip in the many swimming holes, appreciate the scenic beauty of the Coliban River and enjoy a picnic lunch alongside its banks.

Spas

The Hepburn Bathhouse & Spa in Daylesford has been a mainstay for visitors to the area for a number of years, and the iconic spa isn’t going anywhere. Visit for mineral rich waters, mineral wellness experiences, and specifically designed wellness packages. Over in Ballarat is Ballarat’s Sanctuary Day Spa, a luxurious day spa that focuses on lasting wellbeing through holistic healing and nurturing treatments.

Ballarat’s Sanctuary Day Spa, image via Visit Ballarat

A getaway in Ballarat and Central Victoria is all about celebrating the good things – from long, languid lunches, to wine tastings, and relaxed dinners. Larder Café in Daylesford is an essential stop for coffee, breakfast, brunch, or lunch. This café has a Melbourne northside vibe and is perfect for people-watching. A must visit at least once, The Lake House is one of Victoria’s most iconic hotels, with an award-winning restaurant serving modern Australian cuisine. The majority of ingredients are sourced locally, some even grown on their own produce farm, and a visit is a oncein-a-lifetime experience. Over in Waubra near Ballarat, a visit to Wayward Winery for delightful share plates and delicious wine is the perfect weekend lunch experience. Another winery worth a visit is Eastern Peake Winery, which offers tickets for guided winery tours, barrel samples, wine flights and regional produce boards. In the Macedon Ranges, Mount Towrong Vineyard –a small family owned and operated vineyard, situated 600m above sea level with direct views of Mount Macedon and Mount Towrong is a much-loved favourite.

STAY

If you are planning on staying a few nights in the area, there are plenty of charming, boutique local accommodation options. In Daylesford, across the road from the Farmers Arms Hotel Daylesford – the oldest pub in Daylesford – lives the Daylesford , offering accommodation in a charming, motel-style is a beautifully updated heritage cottage that sleeps two. Also in the area is Flophouse, a curated collection of luxurious stays in the Central Victorian Uplands. Flophouse offers intimate in-town cottages to spacious rural properties.

Mount Buninyong lookout, image via Visit Ballarat

Lewis Managing Editor, estliving.com and est magazine

Being able to step inside someone’s home is a privilege. Inherently, we know it’s a personal reflection of who they are and how we live today. At estliving.com, we’re fortunate to explore some of the world’s best homes. Looking to the year ahead and beyond, we see a global perspective in emerging interior themes.

Down to the last detail

How craftsmanship and a connection to nature are shaping interiors in 2023 More

As the adage goes, the devil is in the detail. Through residential interiors, we are seeing an explicit focus on how even the smallest elements, such as a joinery handle in the kitchen, can transform the experience of a space.

More than ever, designers and architects are valuing their relationships with local makers and artisans – crediting them as crucial to the overall success of a residential renovation or new build. Traditional building methods and craftsmanship are being revisited out of respect for landscape and history, to keep these techniques alive.

Be it a home’s stone-clad exterior or hand-applied limewashed walls, traces of a handmade and human-centred approach to design are telling our homes’ stories – worldwide. The use of natural, local materials and craftsmanship also promotes sustainability.

The return of craftsmanship and quality detailing trickles down to everyday objects in our homes, such as a hand-blown glass pendant light above the dining table or the locally made coffee table at the centre of our living room.

As we’ve sought sanctuary in our homes for the past three years, a yearning for comfort can be seen in the organic forms that are increasingly shaping homes – be they the enveloping curves in sofas or the sculptural kitchen island bench. It’s also no coincidence that it’s the Art Deco period’s centennial. Designers are calling on the iconic design era of the 1920s and 1930s through decadent material detailing such as metallic accents and parquetry floors, and in renewed ways – such as statement wallpaper in the powder room.

Sophie

Architecture & Interior Design: Alexander & Co. Photography: Anson Smart.

Revive, reclaim and reinvent

There’s been a growing urge to display our belongings to create layers of character and meaning through our interiors. It’s all about curating our personal collectables, be they vintage furniture, a ceramic from overseas travel or a bold piece of art. Unique pieces are increasingly sought after, just as old classics are reupholstered with new textiles to give them contemporary relevance – reiterating the value of authentic design pieces.

Raw and reclaimed materials such as tiles, bricks and timber – or more environmentally conscious and locally sourced materials used in new ways such as cork – are driving a new kind of material palette. This welcome move is

also attributed to the sense of comfort we derive from natural tones and textures such as wood grain. Sydney design practice Alexander & Co. principal Jeremy Bull attests to this in an interview on estliving.com, saying the materials they’re focusing on this year are “recycled brick, reclaimed ironbark, carbon-neutral concrete, broken stone and pewter.”

Materials that patina, such as brass or copper, have also become popular. Allowing our interiors to keep evolving in colour, depth and gradient, brass and copper also have antimicrobial and antiviral properties – crucial in this era.

Additionally, architects are driving the reinvention of existing buildings into homes – from warehouses to cattle

sheds. By peeling back the layers of these structures, architects are sensitively bringing them into the present. The brick home of prominent Sydney architect William Smart is a recently completed case study – a 1950s warehouse reinvented to accommodate his architecture studio and his own apartment.

On a smaller scale, different rooms in our homes have had to work harder than ever before, as places to live, work and play. This has given rise to multifunctional living rooms, an integrated home bar, more appliances in the kitchen and home offices that maximise space – such as those located just off the kitchen. In some instances, some homes now offer not one, but two study spaces.

way we live. As a result, the landscape

has become an essential component in residential design. Landscape architecture practice Conlon Group founder and director Marc Conlon describes this as a “blurring of the lines” in an interview on estliving.com. “Landscape is amalgamating more with architecture and has never been valued more highly,” Marc says. “There is a movement toward horizontal, vertical, and internal landscapes.”

A consistent interest in regional and rural homes also reminds us of how home can be a place to slow down – and reconnect with the world around us. Agricultural buildings have inspired pitched-roof homes and exposed timber beams internally, and the traditional farmhouse range cooker has made a resurgence in the kitchen.

Architecture: Shaun Lockyer Architects. Landscape Architecture: Conlon Group. Photography: Christopher Frederick Jones.

Design: Handelsmann Khaw Interior Design. Photography: Felix Forest.

New Listings

Thanks to its picturesque natural landscapes, idyllic walks and some of the best restaurants and cafes in the state, the allure of Ballarat and Central Victoria has long been understood by devoted locals.

This year, more buyers wanted in on the action, making premium properties hard to come by. Here, we’re showcasing a snapshot of some of the best new listings currently available in the area. You’ll want to move quickly if any of these homes pique your interest...

Set on this spectacular corner allotment with stunning views over Lake Wendouree, this Victorian residence offers an exciting opportunity to enhance and create your perfect home on the parade. Superbly located with a north facing aspect to the lake, this residence promotes the character and charm of it’s era.

One of Woodend’s oldest properties is offered for sale for the first time in 60 years. Originally a humble cottage, it is now a beautifully restored and extended country home. It has remained true to its heritage and is enveloped in an exquisite garden within 36 acres, encompassing cleared fields and a planting of some 28,000 trees along the boundary.

An incredible opportunity awaits the visionary, investor and developer ready to honour the historical significance of this unique listing while drawing on ingenuity to reach its 21st century potential. The stately multi-level granite and bluestone building, circa 1850, was originally the site of the Castlemaine Police Station and later became The State Savings Bank of Victoria.

home sits amongst a charming cottage garden and is located in the heart of Daylesford. It is within walking distance to the restaurants, café’s, galleries, boutique shops, day spas and all that the tourist mecca has to

Sold Properties

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Take a look through some of our most recent outstanding results and contact us to discuss your next property move.

Designed in the country-cottage theme but with every convenience we expect in the 21st century, this stunning home is all class and relaxed country style. Constructed in 2011 with a new, premier-suite wing added 18 months ago, all aspects of the build and finish have been carefully thought out and completed using premium materials and meticulous attention to detail.

Superbly positioned, this exquisite local landmark first took its place on one of Daylesford’s premium addresses more than 115 years ago. This immaculately renovated c.1914 Federation family residence, sits high on the hill with spectacular 360-degree views.

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