On a hill above the River Derwent, about 30 minutes from Hobart, sits a white Georgian manor with sweeping river views, secret stories and another floor hidden beneath it.
Hallgreen, at 59 Montagu Street, New Norfolk, is a 200-year-old estate on more than 5700 square metres, with a second title, botanic-like gardens and a largely untouched lower level that feels like another house beneath the house.
The historic property outside Hobart is listed for offers over $1.8 million. Picture: realestate.com.au
For the price of a rundown terrace in some inner-city markets, it offers a rare amount of scale and possibility: a grand historic home, a riverfront setting, income-producing potential and a backstory that reaches into Tasmania’s early medical, botanical and river histories.
“We actually paid more than $1.8m for it,” vendor Mark said. “And we spent a lot on it, so someone’s going to get a great bargain. For us, it’s just been an investment of, if we do something, we do it properly.”
Mark and his wife Julie had lived around the world before returning to Australia and deciding to try Tasmania, in search of space and a cooler climate.
“We wanted somewhere with a bit of land and some great views of water and trees,” he said. “We wanted something green.”
The manor sits on a hit overlooking the River Derwent. Picture: realestate.com.au
Hallgreen delivered, but it was also a project. Over 18 months, the couple restored the upstairs, bringing its large rooms back to life. Mark, an architect, and Julie, a fashion designer with an eye for interiors, leaned into the home’s Regency character with lighter colours, elegant detailing and a French classical feel.
“What amazed us was how light it was,” Mark said. “A lot of historic houses are very dark. This is full of light all the time.”
The upstairs level has been completely renovated, but a 'hidden level' below offers untapped potential for the next owner. Picture: realestate.com.au
The layout still feels strikingly considered 200 years later.
“Every living room faces the river and that also happens to be north,” he said. “They captured all the views and got the sun right.”
“You see the mist rising off the river, with the mountains beyond” he said. “It’s quite romantic.”
But Hallgreen’s real surprise is downstairs. Beneath the polished upper level is a largely untouched lower floor with flagstone floors, thick stone walls, hand-cut timber ceilings, an original kitchen with a cast-iron stove and seven rooms, not including the two storerooms.
“Down there,” Mark said, “each room has its own fireplace, and they work!”
The four bedroom home could "easily become a nine bedroom home" by updating the existing additional rooms downstairs, the listing states. Picture: realestate.com.au
That old construction also does some quiet work: Mark said thick walls and a traditional layer of earth between the upper and lower floors help insulate the home acoustically and thermally.
“It’s such a solid house,” he said. “Downstairs has a completely different feeling to upstairs.
"Downstairs, the rooms are like a hug.”
The home is currently advertised as four bedrooms, but the existing lower-level rooms could allow the property to become a much larger residence, subject to approvals.
Hallgreen’s documented history is unusually rich. The house was once owned by Sir Robert Officer, who Mark said came from Scotland and was Tasmania’s first Surgeon General.
'Hallgreen' hides a colourful past, with folklore of underground tunnels, accidental fires, ghosts and hidden rooms. Picture: realestate.com.au
Sir Robert went on to help shape the area’s early medical and welfare systems, before later establishing the nearby Salmon Ponds.
The sprawling 5700sqm landholding is being offered for sale for the price of a rundown inner-city Sydney terrace. Picture: realestate.com.au
His legacy reached into the gardens, too. Mark said Sir Robert struck a deal with Kew Gardens in London, bringing rare plants and trees back for Hobart’s botanical gardens.
At Hallgreen, traces of that world remain: the foundations of an old eastern conservatory, bulbs that still rise unexpectedly, and a magnolia Mark estimates is 150 years old.
And where there is history, there is folklore. Hallgreen comes with tales of ghosts, fires and underground tunnels, including local stories of a passage once linking the house, the hospital and the nearby Bush Inn, which Mark describes as the oldest pub in Australia.
The huge home was originally built by a surgeon for his family of 14 children. Picture: realestate.com.au
As for the ghosts, he is careful not to overstate it.
“My wife Julie says she thinks, if there are ghosts, they love what we’ve done.” he said. “It’s a very welcoming, calming house.”
For the next owner, the more practical question may be what Hallgreen could become. With two titles, extensive grounds and the lower level that could be further adapted, the property could remain a grand family home or take on a more entrepreneurial future, from accommodation to weddings, functions or a garden cafe, subject to council approval.
“You could live in one end and the rest could be part of the entertainment or venue,” Mark said. They also had plans drawn for three short-stay cottages on the second title.
Adjoining the Esplanade with a riverside garden setting, the property would make the perfect venue for weddings. Picture: realestate.com.au
The location strengthens the case. Hallgreen feels private, yet it is not remote: New Norfolk’s shops, pubs, restaurants and Saturday market are within walking distance.
“We didn’t want to live in the middle of nowhere,” Mark said. “We wanted to feel secluded and private, and this house does that. It’s right in New Norfolk, but you wouldn’t know it’s there.”
There is another advantage too, Hallgreen’s riverfront position is soon to become more than a view. The New Norfolk Regatta is officially scheduled to return from 12 to 14 February 2027, reviving the town’s historic river celebration - an event Mark likens to “Henley on Thames”.
A ferry service is also planned, renewing the Hobart-to-New Norfolk river connection.
“The ferry stop will be just to the side of our house down the river,” he said.
For a future events operator, that possibility is compelling: guests could one day travel from Hobart to New Norfolk by ferry for a wedding or function on the grounds.
The home has two balconies, each overlooking the panoramic garden and river vistas. Picture: realestate.com.au
For the couple, family ties are drawing them back west, but the house has left its mark.
“We’ve put our heart and soul in it,” Mark said. “We’ve done what we wanted to do and brought the upstairs back to life. Someone else can do downstairs. They can let their imagination go.”
This article was originally published on 22 Jun 2026 at 1:01pm but has been regularly updated to keep the information current.
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