A rare piece of Victorian history is on the market with the 1873 built Coragulac House seeking a new custodian.
The grand bluestone 30 room mansion on 57ha – considered one of the western district’s most significant homes from the colonial era – has hit the market with a $4.3 million to $4.6 million asking price.
The home, located at 895 Corangamite Lake Road, Coragulac, was built for the pioneering pastoralist George Pringle Robertson and has been painstakingly restored to its former glory.
Sales agent Simon O'Donnell from Marshall White Stonnington said there was a rich history within the western district with few bluestone properties remaining, and none have been restored to the level of Coragulac House.
“There's still a bit of work to be done, if people wish to,” he said.
“But they're a rarity, and it's one of those – I call it a ‘statement home’ – that’s been refurbished and is ready for someone new to go enjoy.”
The heritage listed residence has been used as a wedding and accommodation venue, and hosts popular Devonshire teas in the main dining room and grand entrance hall.
Hallmarks of Coragulac House’s bygone era include its twin conical towers, stained glass features and a coffin shaped skylight, while inside its original features include vaulted ceilings, intricate plaster work and artist Robert Prenzel’s wood carvings.
The homestead’s mammoth 30 rooms comprise a formal dining room, three kitchens, multiple living rooms, nine bedrooms, a spectacular billiard room and a cellar.
The original stables and coach house have used for functions, and a separate cottage has been used as accommodation.
According to the Victorian Heritage Database’s statement of significance, Coragulac House, and the nearby Glen Alvie homestead are the “only two surviving properties of the once powerful and extensive Robertson pastoral empire, the original homesteads having been demolished.”
“Coragulac House is a notable Western District homestead and a characteristic rather than exceptional work of (architects) Davidson and Henderson,” it states.
“The elaborate, high quality Art Nouveau ornamentation is a notable feature readily identifiable with the work of Guyon Purchas.”
Mr O’Donnell said he believed whoever buys Coragulac House will be someone who will hold onto it for generations to come.
“The distance to Melbourne is not far, it has a really thriving hub up the road in Colac, where there's every modern facility you would want,” he said.
“I think it’s got to be (someone with) an appetite for history.
“If there's an appetite for history that could be an older couple just wanting to enjoy that history or … a family that wants a statement of saying, ‘This is our house and will be for generations’, but it's understanding that going with it is some really historical significance to be held in the family for some time.”
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