See The Grampians From Your Back Yard
The Age
Wednesday January 26, 1994
THE GRAMPIANS National Park is an area of rugged sandstone and granite cliffs, surrounded by the pastureland of Western District farms.
An important Aboriginal area for thousands of years, caves in the north and west Grampians feature Aboriginal rock paintings.
Ararat, Hamilton and Horsham are the three main centres from which visitors can enjoy the park and its environs. There are also several historic country properties where visitors can stay, such as Glenisla, half-way between Hamilton and Horsham.
Inverary Homestead, Branxholme, a two-storey 1860s bluestone house is another working farm where visitors are welcome.
Closer to Ararat, Thermopylae is a 4000-acre grazing property that offers self-catering cottage accommodation. Hotels and bed and breakfast places can also be found in most of the towns.
Seppelt's Great Western Winery is one of a number of vintners in the region and other vineyards, such as Mt Langi Ghiran, Boroka, Cathcart Ridge Estate and Garden Gully, are all open for tastings.
Mr Brian McCutcheon of Spalding, McCutcheon real estate, sees a marked improvement in the property market around Ararat and he has a number of properties on the market.
A modern, two-storey house on 4.5 hectares on the edge of the Great Western township, is about 30 squares and has a formal sitting room with an open fireplace, large family room and modern slate-floored kitchen with a dishwasher and electric appliances. The four bedrooms all have built-in cupboards. Other improvements include a double carport and a large shed with roller and sliding doors. For private sale for $160,000 through Spalding, McCutcheon _ (053 522 303).
Closer to Ararat, a mud-brick house on 37.6 hectares of undulating land with ample water is to be auctioned on Saturday 12 February. The property, at Eaglehawk Road, Armstrongs, is 10-minutes drive from Ararat.
The three-bedroom house has cathedral ceilings, a large combined living and kitchen area, a solar hot water system with an electric booster, also used for the under-slab heating and a feature wall of old bricks and stained glass. A separate old stone building of two rooms and a garage is included in the sale. SEC power and telephone is connected and the property is serviced by a septic tank. The agent expects the property to fetch in excess of $115,000 at auction.
Also for sale for $145,000 through Spalding McCutcheon, is a 127- hectare bush property at Moyston West, 25 minutes from Ararat. It is close to the Grampians, Mount William and Major Mitchell Plateau.
About half the land is cleared. There is a long creek frontage and two good-size sheds with provision for machinery, and a sheep yard.
Fencing divides the property into four main paddocks.
Hamilton, at the heart of south-western Victoria, has one of the state's leading regional art galleries, a botanic garden and a new performing arts centre.
Mr Darren Barber of Walter First National Real Estate, Hamilton, has two particularly interesting properties for private sale.
A beautifully designed sandstone house, Aquila, on the lower slopes of Mount Abrupt, five kilometres from Dunkeld, has an unusual octagonal form. Built on a 40-hectare natural bush block, next to the Grampians golf club, the house has a spacious living room, two bedrooms, gas appliances in the kitchen and solar power. A detached 74-square-metre stone studio has been designed so that it could be converted into three or four bedrooms. The property, which has potential for tourist accommodation, is for sale for $270,000.
Greenwood Park, east of Hamilton, is a long low, 40-square homestead on 59 hectares of undulating country. Recently renovated, the house has an L-shaped hall with polished floor, four double bedrooms, a sitting room, formal dining room, family room, and a luxurious garden of native plants.
Wood-fired central heating radiators warm the house, which has verandas on three sides. Numerous outbuildings near the house include a three-bay shearing shed, hay shed, machinery shed, grain shed, workshop, stables, tack room and a three-car garage.
Two large galvanised iron tanks and a 32,000 litre fibreglass tank are connected to a Davey pressure pump.
The property currently carries 500 superfine merino sheep and 110 lambs. A dam, bore and a shared windmill with pump-fed troughs supply water and the fencing is said to be in good condition. It is offered for private sale through Walter First National (055 712 533) for $288,000.
Horsham, at the northern end of the Grampians National Park, is also a service town for a farming area. Mr John Nevill of Walter & Smith, First National Real Estate, says vendors are now accepting lower prices. He points to a parcel of land, 61.5 hectares half way between Stawell and Horsham near Dadswell Bridge.
Zoned part of the township of Dadswell Bridge in the shire of Wimmera, the property could be subdivided into blocks of a minimum 750 square metres, subject to shire regulations. The town has a roadhouse, motel and the Big Koala complex and caravan park. This is an opportunity to acquire land next to a tourist destination in the Grampians National Park.
The property has an immaculate three-bedroom house with ducted air- conditioning, a large kitchen, and a billiard room. Improvements include a large machinery shed, double garage, hay shed, cattle and sheep yards. It is on the market for $160,000, through Walter & Smith First National (053826655).
© 1994 The Age
